Caring for an over-pruned apricot tree (forum)

Peter Overpruned starts with ...
Hi. I have some beautiful old apricot trees that gave huge crops of lovely fruit. However, the young &quote;e;gardener&quote;e; that I hired to give them a trim stupidly cut back to the main boughs. I'm guessing that it take 5 years before I have strong fruit bearing limbs and fruit again. Aaargh!!!
Anyway, off course the poor things have sprouted leaves everywhere. My guess is that I should prune off the verticals and crossed branches etc as they develop or should I just leave it bushy for a while so that it can get maximum growth and then do a prune in a year's time.

Time: 19th November 2017 9:03am

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About the Author Peter Overpruned
Bell Post Hill
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Fruitylicious1 says...
Hi Peter

I think pruning your apricot tree this season is the best time to do it. Normally apricot trees are pruned during the growing season after fruiting rather than during winter to avoid the dreaded gummosis disease. You can start removing all the inward and weak growing branches. Also thin out overcrowded growth. Select well spaced outward growing limbs aiming for a vase shaped structure. Maybe aim between four to five main reasonably well spaced branches. Keep the centre open for better light penetration. Apricots mainly fruit on one year old branches but also develop permanent spurs on older boughs. You will expect fruit within 3 years if you prune it this season rather than waiting for another year. I've done the same to my friend's 30 yrs old unproductive apricot tree. Within 2-3 years it started bearing fruit again. In my opinion and experience its better to do the pruning now rather than later.
Happy Gardening :-)

Time: 1st December 2017 5:55pm

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Original Post was last edited: 2nd December 2017 5:07am

About the Author Fruitylicious1
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Manfred says...
Apricots are very forgiving. I don't know what your &quote;beautiful old apricot trees&quote; were like, nor what you mean by main boughs, but i suspect the gardener may have done the right thing if your old trees were starting to become a bit messy.

Leave the new growth and decide after a year's growth where the trees want to head. I know of some flowering peaches pruned like that every year (after flowering) which still produce a lot of unwanted fruit every year.

Time: 4th December 2017 10:55am

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Peter Overpruned says...
Many thanks for both of those responses. The trees were very productive and healthy and the gardener only had to clear the centres, shape the outside and make them shorter. Instead, he removed all the fruit-bearing limbs, leaving only the trunk and main boughs. Had no idea about which wood the fruit grows on etc. Very annoying.
Anyway, from what you have both said, I will have to wait a few years before I have well structured trees again but that I shouldn't worry if I don't prune them right now (as I am time-poor) at the moment.
Thanks again. Cheers.

Time: 5th December 2017 5:04pm

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About the Author Peter Overpruned
Bell Post Hill
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