Caught up with my long time friend David Ricketson today. David has been involved with the Ranges Organic Growers Association (ROGA) (Ferntree Gully) since its inception around 25 years ago but health issues have stopped him attending meetings over the last couple of years.
ROGA has had an unbroken record of around 23 consecutive years of holding grafting days on the last Friday in July and David has been incredibly supportive with donating scion all those years.
Of all the people I have met in my years of travel and networking David stands alone for his knowledge of pruning. Only had a short time with him this afternoon but he passed on these tips on pruning peaches and nectarines. Peaches and nectarines fruit on last years growth with the majority of the fruit on the middle 2/3s of last years growth. Each year cut off up to 1/3 of the laterals (the branches coming off the main trunks) to promote strong new growth and peaches and nectarines benefit the most from fertilisation of any of the deciduous fruits.
David also passed on another tip, if establishing a vase-shaped tree and the branches are of varying thicknesses, then prune more upright growth and more growing tips off the thicker branches and less upright branches and growing tips of the thinner branches. David said this was particularly important with young trees to balance the growth.
On behalf of the network I wish David every success in his battles and good health for the future.
Prune more upright growth and growing tips off the thicker branch on the left than the thinner branch on the right.
ROGA has had an unbroken record of around 23 consecutive years of holding grafting days on the last Friday in July and David has been incredibly supportive with donating scion all those years.
Of all the people I have met in my years of travel and networking David stands alone for his knowledge of pruning. Only had a short time with him this afternoon but he passed on these tips on pruning peaches and nectarines. Peaches and nectarines fruit on last years growth with the majority of the fruit on the middle 2/3s of last years growth. Each year cut off up to 1/3 of the laterals (the branches coming off the main trunks) to promote strong new growth and peaches and nectarines benefit the most from fertilisation of any of the deciduous fruits.
David also passed on another tip, if establishing a vase-shaped tree and the branches are of varying thicknesses, then prune more upright growth and more growing tips off the thicker branches and less upright branches and growing tips of the thinner branches. David said this was particularly important with young trees to balance the growth.
On behalf of the network I wish David every success in his battles and good health for the future.
Prune more upright growth and growing tips off the thicker branch on the left than the thinner branch on the right.