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Pruning a Weeping Santa Rosa
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keithR
10 Posts
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1
December 6, 2018 - 11:01 pm

Hello,

I just put a bare root Weeping Plum into the ground, and I'm looking for some advice on a proper pruning strategy.  We have a few other stone fruits that we are trying to grow in the "small fruit" style detailed by Dave Wilson and Ann Ralph.  So when we first put those in, we made the aggressive pruning cut around knee height, and that seems to have worked out ok so far.  With this weeping tree though, we have seen conflicting information. 

The whip is currently 5-6' high, with a round of several short branches at about waist height, and another set towards the top.  We were told this tree would naturally max out at around 8 x 8, and we're ok with something close to that, or just a little bit shorter in it's current space.  We do want to make sure it gets a good healthy start though, and understood that a good pruning at planting is key to that. We're looking for advice on whether we should take the central leader down quite a bit, or instead maybe remove the lower set of branches and some of the uppers?

For additional info, we're in Portland, the tree was purchased from OGW, and is on St. Julien rootstock.

Thanks,

Keith

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Viron
1400 Posts
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2
December 8, 2018 - 4:47 pm

Without seeing the tree, I recommend you allow the top branches to develop, removing any central leader at that point.  If they shade the lower branches, you may leave the lower ones; but if the lower branches appear to compete with the uppermost, I’d shorten or remove them, allowing energy to feed the top ones.

I don’t understand why you’d be planting a bare root tree now, usually they’d be potted. Unless OGW is cleaning the roots prior to mailing, which would make sense, as long as they’re dormant. Stake it against the wind, too Cool

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John S
PDX OR
2800 Posts
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December 8, 2018 - 6:49 pm

One piece of advice-do not prune that tree in the rain!

I pruned a Santa Rosa plum tree in the rain and it got all kinds of disease that I couldn't get rid of. 

In general for stone fruit-only prune when it is dry.

John S
PDX OR

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keithR
10 Posts
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4
December 11, 2018 - 1:37 pm

Thanks,

I've linked a pic to give a better idea of what I'm looking at, though it's a bit tough to see against the background.

I picked up the tree at OGW's nursery, but it was leafless and definitely bare-root.

And great advice about the rain as well -- I'll wait for the next dry stretch to do anything.  When you say not to do it in the rain though -- do you mean it needs a couple of days? or wait until June?

Keith

View post on imgur.com

[Image Can Not Be Found]

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Viron
1400 Posts
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5
December 12, 2018 - 4:42 pm

Looks good!  I had a multi grafted Santa Rosa that seemed bullet-proof.  The lower limbs here are not dominant, nor would they ever be. Being that a fair amount of root was likely removed when it was dug & trimmed for sale, I’d snip off all the lower branches flush with the trunk and allow it’s stored energy to feed the uppermost limbs.

I’d wait for a couple dry days in early march to do it, I never cared to prune in the rain anyway Wink  As for the uppermost limbs, naturally weeping, I’d simply monitor it’s new growth and pinch out any shoots or leaders that appear to be taking it any higher, forcing all new growth and energy into what will become it’s main, or scaffold limbs.

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John S
PDX OR
2800 Posts
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December 13, 2018 - 6:27 pm

As usual, I agree with Viron.

John S
PDX OR

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Rooney
Vancouver SW Washington
772 Posts
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December 15, 2018 - 10:23 pm

Bear in mind that your bare-root nursery purchase may have had roots cut in the process as Viron suggested. ...as "bare root" often have had dominant roots shortened, it is trade practice to spray an adequate amount of rain protection somewhere along the way before final retail. Should bare root have been sold without rain guard and non greenhouse grown by the customer (ie. outdoors west of the Cascades) all trees incur a state of "transplant stress" and not only the process of damaging roots by digging cause this, but critters such as root nematodes to voles on established trees are even responsible.

The stress in prunus are of most concern and in my opinion prunus should never be retailed this time of year. I have even bought a toka plum in a 15 gallon pot and had major die-back and there are is not much in the way of public statement on plums in the PNW as most documentation applies to sweet cherries which are more inclement than plum, but plums can be problematic too.

The die-back (prunus) is almost always certain to involve stress from the root first (ie pots etc), then bacterial, then fungals usually later. The aim is to "greenhouse" your purchase between the root stress  the bacterial infection. Simply sheltering your tree with plastic in a way to not increase body temperature is what I mean (to keep dry).

I wish there were simpler insights that I can reference you to but can't. The retail chains have kind of explained this one to me over the years of growing my own, and the sprays are usually accomplished at the wholesale growers, but just be careful. 

Now finally: Once sheltered at least it is now obvious there is no need to wait for dry weather, in which case "prune anytime". (smile)

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