Ring barking Apples and Pears

[Dave.G.]

Nitching and notching on fruit trees was done to to encorage or retard buds when shaping young trees. Cutting the bark just below a bud would "slow" it down at bud burst and cutting bark just above the bud would encourage more growth from the bud. So if you have a young tree that you want to train as a fan against a wall you can nitch one side and notch the other to keep it balanced. Tried it on a few maiden apples in the walled garden it didnt work!

[RopeKnight]

We use it to increase or decrease the build up or blocking of hormones, water and nutrients and to tie up energy with callus production rather than adventitious growth.

 

Just need to remember

Auxins from Apical buds stimulate Differentiation

Cytokinins from Roots stimulate Growth

Gibberillin from Buds and roots stimulate growth and differentiation

 

So this week I was doing a crown reduction and below the pruning wound or at the point of attachment, i will score the bark and cambuim about 1/3 the diameter. Depending on the vigor if it is high a may do upto 3 traces.

 

This is done to avoid the sprouting. Most times it works.

On a young tree you can apply this trace on the stem where you want to encourage growth or branching.

I use this also to promote flowering of vines and flowering trees.

It is alos handy when you have a limb you want to control but pruning it will detract from it aesthetically so I just trace it out a few times to slow it down.

The thickness of the saw, 1/3 the diameter and spiralling up the branch/lead.

Timing is the main factor.

 

I practiced this technique quite vigorously with a Norway maple in front of my parents house growing under the lines.

My mom wanted it kept small, so over the years i figured out what worked and what didn't with a vigorous young tree.

It works really well in maintaining a small tree with out looking like a pollard.

Just dwarfed it. And everything heals up fine.

Initially I only used secateurs and a tiny srew driver. I would make two paralles cuts and then pop out thin strip of tissue.

Now it is much easier to saw it out.

 

Thats my experience and how I apply it, even with mature trees.

[nepia]

Ropeknight, got any pics of this? The grey matter this end struggles with verbal descriptions.

Ta.

[RopeKnight]

I have a Pear and Cherry in the back yard i reduced so to keep the squirrels from using them like a highway to the neighbours Walnut. My Jackapoo mut is bonkers for squirrel.

I will get some pics or vid shortly.

[Will Hinchliffe]

Nitching and notching on fruit trees was done to to encorage or retard buds when shaping young trees. Cutting the bark just below a bud would "slow" it down at bud burst and cutting bark just above the bud would encourage more growth from the bud. So if you have a young tree that you want to train as a fan against a wall you can nitch one side and notch the other to keep it balanced. Tried it on a few maiden apples in the walled garden it didnt work!

 

What is the difference between a nitch and a notch ?

 

I have tried putting cuts on some fruit tree trunks to encourage lower growth but never been back to check them.

[Dave.G.]

A nitch is above a bud a notch is below, or is it a notch is above a bud and a nitch is below???? Didn't matter to us as niether worked.

[RopeKnight]

Ropeknight, got any pics of this? The grey matter this end struggles with verbal descriptions.

Ta.

 

Here is a new vid about a large old hollow Silver Maple we saved.

 

The tree is healthy and needed crown reduction and slowing down.

 

Ring barking was performed on average 3 to 4 traces per lead, spiralling down the stem and a few inches below the major pruning wound.

 

YouTube - Ropearmour's Channel

[RopeKnight]

Ropeknight, got any pics of this? The grey matter this end struggles with verbal descriptions.

Ta.

 

Here is a pic.

[Lorry thompson]

Never heard of this before I've always been told to thin centre out and try and leave horizontal branches as they produce the most fruit? I've seen a stressed apple produce loads of fruit before I knew the process, as a kid I found an apple tree by the river we swam in with loads of apples on and the best apples I've tasted went down same time for a few year after and no apples, it's dead now and now I know why

[nepia]

Ropeknight, thanks for your time and trouble; that's fascinating stuff but it's obviously an art that takes time and knowledge to get right.

I have so many questions! How do you know how many notches to make? How do you know where to make them? Did the four cuts in this example cover the full cirumference of the branch albeit a little at a time? How far below the pruning cut? On what species do you use this technique or does it depend on individual overall circumnstances rather than species?

 

Most of all - well done for saving the tree; clients happy (the main thing) and the only hardwood in view saved!