Ring barking Apples and Pears

[Pat Ferrett]

On another thread about ring barking dangerous tree's to reduce their weight I posted that Dad used to ring bark apple tree's to slow them up, well I found a page in an old book that explains and also a picture of the knife he used .

Have any of you on here used this method ?

[gibbon]

Was that too slow growth? I had heard a similar thing was done to stress to make it think it was on the way out, so it put more effort into fruiting. Just a kind of old boy tale so I never new whether it was for real or not

[Pat Ferrett]

My old man used to say

" Dogs ,Women, and Walnut trees,the more you beat them the better they be"

I think you might be right, it maybe that the tree feels that it should produce seed via fruit to further its existence .

[RopeKnight]

My old man used to say

" Dogs ,Women, and Walnut trees,the more you beat them the better they be"

I think you might be right, it maybe that the tree feels that it should produce seed via fruit to further its existence .

 

That is where "rule of thumb" stems, Pun intended. You are not to beat with anything thicker than your thumb.

 

I have used this with clients that wish a thin straggley old bush would thicken up.

Give it a wack or shake it vigorously.

Edited February 20, 2011 by RopeKnight

[Brushcutter]

I've seen ring barking mentioned in a couple of books i have on fruit tree pruning. I did a fruit tree pruning course a few years back and they mentioned it too.

 

The only experence i have of it was working in a community garden where each year the people strimming always gave the base of the trees a fair bit of damage. The trees very in very good shape considering and never needed much pruning and always produced a good crop.

[Mesterh]

Good bit of info there.

 

How does ring barking apples and pear trees not kill them when I understood that if you remove the cambium the tree will die?

[Pat Ferrett]

Im sure the Hama will be along soon to tell us ( that man does know his stuff )

[Will Hinchliffe]

I have seen it in books but never tried it. I doubt it is good for the long term health of a tree but may help improve the fruit yeild.

 

You may already know this but for those who do not: The little knife is a timber scribe. I think thats what the little pocket behind the knee on chainsaw trousers is for. Im always looking out for them at bootsales. They are quite pricy new.

[Paul Jenks]

You don't completely ringbark the tree. Depending on how much you want to stress the tree you go halfway or three quarters round leaving some cambium. You can then repeat the exercise for several years staggering where the cambium is left. Each successive ringing above the previous one. It makes the tree work harder at producing seed.

[Mesterh]

You don't completely ringbark the tree. Depending on how much you want to stress the tree you go halfway or three quarters round leaving some cambium. You can then repeat the exercise for several years staggering where the cambium is left. Each successive ringing above the previous one. It makes the tree work harder at producing seed.

 

Ahh right makes sense to me now!

 

For some reason I thought it was ring barking as in the entire circumference.