11 January 2009 - Out on a limb

Well, not really, as it turns out. Having consulted a few books and YouTube, and armed with a fresh pair of secateurs, we went up to see about winter pruning our apple trees.

You think you know a tree, just because you walk past it frequently, or because you planted it, or because you've eaten its fruit. But until this afternoon, I actually would have been hard pressed (apple banter) to sketch an outline of either of our trees' set of main branches. And they're both a lot smaller than I would have guessed this morning. (Although most of the trees on YouTube were quite large.)

The goal of Beginner's Pruning is at least four-fold. First, to clear space so that (the eventual) buds and apples get plenty of light and air (nobody likes, for example, a cramped crotch). This includes removing growth heading downward, or across the middle of the tree or across other branches. Second, to promote subsequent growth (you tend to cut back the previous year's growth by two-thirds, which seems harsh, but makes the plant try all the harder). Third, to remove dead or diseased material.

The trees, then, with the simpler first. Our, Cox, though not yet really growing in the desired 'vase' shape, is a vigorous little fella. We felt informed enough to trim here and there (always cutting back to the upward-facing bud). The Scrumptious, however, doesn't really have the shape we're familiar with from online videos. It's been growing well, but with its branches shooting up rather than out. Almost as if it was intended to be trained as an espalier, with its branches pinned out along horizontal lines. Hmmm. We withheld the secateurs until next weekend, by whic time we will have borrowed (yet) another book with pruning advice.

Harvested two leeks - we're down to about 15 left in the ground, thinner and thinner, but still delicious. And a cabbage (I didn't know about the slugs until I read K's previous blog). Still have some kale upright. The various green manures are suffering from the recent frosts, but no matter because we are due shortly to dig them in.

Am pondering the best formation for a raised carrot-bed at the plot's top (by the shed), where the soil is so stony that it's near-impossible to dig. Raised beds would, at least, give us control over the soil conditions. And judging from the shapes of our carrots, they could use a soil that makes it easy to grow downward.

Work to do in the coming weeks on restoring our fence, which has suffered somewhat by being constructed by a non-fencer, and from vandals taking shortcuts through them.

As K wrote, death to slugs. Of all kinds.

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