Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Training Apricot Trees
Apricots develop fruit both on 1-year-old limbs and on spurs found on older
wood. In general, apricot trees require similar pruning and training prac-
tices as peach trees, and the amount of pruning they need lies somewhere
between that needed for apples and that needed for peaches. Apricots are
usually grown as freestanding trees. These trees tend to spread, so relatively
wide spacing is the rule.
When you are training apricot trees to open centers, follow the recom-
mendations for peaches. Space the trees about 18 to 24 feet apart in rows
that are 18 to 24 feet apart. In the southeastern United States, fruit spe-
cialists recommend spacing apricots 20 to 24 feet apart within and between
rows.
Apricots can also be trained to modified central leaders. Follow the re-
commendations for training apples, but use more thinning and heading cuts
to ensure an open canopy. A tree spacing of 18 to 24 feet apart in rows that
are 18 to 24 feet apart works well.
For higher-density plantings, you might consider experimenting with the
perpendicular-V or quad-V training systems, as described above for peaches.
Training Plum and Prune Trees
Plums are among the easiest stone fruits to train, and they adapt well to
both central leader and open center designs. For higher-density orchards,
plums (especially European varieties) can be trained to palmettes parallel to
the crop rows. Plums have a tendency to develop erect shoots with narrow
branch angles and bark inclusions. Early pruning and branch spreading take
care of this problem.
Like peaches, plums bear their fruit laterally on 1-year-old shoots. They
also set fruit on relatively long-lived spurs, like apples and sweet cherries.
Japanese plums tend to bear fruit more heavily along shoots than their
European cousins and are more often trained like peaches.
As a general rule, encourage about 10 to 24 inches of new shoot growth
for young trees and at least 10 inches of new shoot growth for mature
