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The Survival Gardener

The Official Website of Author David The Good

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Latest Posts

    Fruit treesPruning

    Are You Pruning Too Much?

    by David The Good February 26, 2021February 26, 2021
    written by David The Good

    Kio has taken some flack from arborists claiming that heavy pruning is bad:

    “I bought a lot of fruit trees and bushes and plant cuttings and I’ve been planting my butt off to get a nice decent sized beginning food forest started. I’ve got a persimmon, some figs, a pineapple guava, lots of blueberries and a few other things and I’m hoping to get some more in March. I live in North FL, near __________, and I’ve always loved the resources you put out, I’ve bought almost every one of your ebooks and read them and I’ve found most of your methods to work really well.

    I watched your video today about pruning, and had been hearing from other gardening and homesteader friends that taking such a heavy handed approach to pruning is great for starting woody plants like fruit trees and bushes.

    Note: here is the video referenced:

    I did that to what I planted this past weekend and I’m planning on trying my hand at making a few cuttings. I shared some pictures on a gardening community discord I’m on… And a few more traditional gardeners were very upset, naturally, with me. One of them claimed to be an arborist with 20 years of experience and said something along the lines of “Needing to understand what happens when you take such an aggressive approach and what the outcomes are.” And that in his experience it causes more harm than good, and creates scenarios where excessive management is required and increases the amount of “plant stress.” And another person said something about them learning similar things and that lopping off “the entire canopy” was taught to be a bad thing during his time at university studying plant science.

    I liked the video and I’ve found most of your methods to work very well as I’ve said, but I also tend to be a skeptical person and rather scientifically inclined, so I’m curious if you can offer any more information in this regard about the claims and things these other gardeners have said. I also plan on purchasing those pruning books you recommended. The gardeners provided a few sources for some of their claims, including some forestry sources on proper pruning, and I unfortunately can’t help but be even more skeptical, as modern agriculture practices have done a lot of damage to the Earth.”

    Good questions.
    First of all, I am not an expert on pruning – I am just a backyard fruit-tree growing enthusiast with a lot of head knowledge and some experience. I’ve also made observations on what happens when you prune, as I wrote in the Survival Gardening Newsletter this week:
    It was a steamy tropical afternoon as I trudged up the long, rocky road to our house in the Caribbean jungle.

    Our car was in the shop and I was tired out, wishing that the mechanics worked faster, that the weather was cooler and that I didn’t have so much farther to walk… and then I spotted something interesting. A tree. A tamarind tree. A tamarind tree covered in tamarinds.

    Yet unlike most other tamarind trees I had seen, this tree wasn’t towering overhead. Instead, it was short and gnarled, bearing tamarind pods within easy picking range.

    On closer inspection, I realized it was under a power line and had been cut repeatedly by the power company. Eventually, it had decided to stop growing “up” and start growing fruit!

    Along the same road I had watched people knocking tamarind pods out of trees using long bamboo poles – but this tree could be picked right next to the ground.

    No, the tree hadn’t been pruned “properly” or given much care, but it sure was convenient – and it was very much alive and productive.

    After seeing that, I realized I could do a lot more with tree training than I had previously been comfortable doing.

    If I could keep fruit trees in reach – and not gigantic – I could plant a lot more varieties of fruit. I might even be able to incorporate lots of fruit trees inside of my vegetable gardens. There are so many possibilities! Just because the “maximum height” of a tree is listed as 50 feet, it doesn’t mean you need to let it get that tall. You might be able to keep it at ten feet. Or even five feet.

    This concept had now become part of my new Grocery Row gardening system. Over the fall and winter I have been building beds and planting them with fruits, nuts and berries. Around those, I am planting flowers, roots and vegetables.

    I am no longer afraid to cut trees to the size and shape I want – and I have been doing lots of reading and experimenting over the last couple of years. Right now I’m cutting new trees to shape – and I am being brutal!

    You can make trees grow sideways, up against walls, along wires like grapes, into hedges… the possibilities are incredible. I have come to really enjoy pruning. You can fit a ton of trees in your yard if you like. Don’t worry about those who yell “YOU KILLED IT!” when they see you prune. Trees can take a lot, and if trained well they’ll reward you in the future.

    Lose Your Fear of Pruning

    Having seen how much trees can take, I have lost my fear of pruning. Most of my fruit trees I want to keep small so they will fit into my garden rows, so I prune brutally, looking for a vase shape.

    I have seen avocado trees cut down to stumps in order to reinvigorate them. I have seen mulberry trees chainsawed to the ground every few years so they don’t get too tall.

    Also, I usually propagate a lot of my own trees. If I kill one through pruning, who cares? I have plenty of backups.

    People are way, way too tentative. I haven’t actually killed a tree with pruning yet. If you cut them at this time of year while they are dormant, they seem to hardly notice. And despite all the lectures people get from extension offices about “not topping crepe myrtles,” for example, I see lots and lots of old crepe myrtle trees that have been topped a zillion times without dying and they look just fine in bloom.

    Just consider your goals: are you trying to keep a tree tiny? Are you pruning for shape? Are you simply a psychopath? Do you want fruit this year – or are you unconcerned with fruit for now?

    If I want big trees, I just let them grow. I don’t prune every tree. If you start seedling trees and want them to grow into big shade trees, great – let them grow. Pruning may mean you have to maintain them more and if you won’t want to bother, fine.

    I saw the peach trees growing at the farm of a former UF scientist and he had cut all their trunks at 18″ or so above the ground and trained them into vase shapes. The fruit got lots of sun and was easy to pick. Alternately, I have seen big peach trees that have never been cut and they’re a tall mess of branches without the ease of harvest.

    If you want a more moderate approach to pruning, Steven Edholm’s video where he talks about his fruit tree pruning is quite good:

    There is more than one way to skin prune a cat pear tree.

    February 26, 2021February 26, 2021 2 comments
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  • Biochar

    Easy Biochar Trench Burning Method

    by David The Good February 25, 2021February 25, 2021
    February 25, 2021February 25, 2021
    Read more
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  • Composting

    Massive Soil Improvement Using Leaf Mulch

    by David The Good February 24, 2021February 23, 2021
    February 24, 2021February 23, 2021
    Read more
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  • AminopyralidAnnouncements

    Grapes incoming

    by David The Good February 23, 2021
    February 23, 2021
    Read more
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  • Terra preta

    Comments on Terra Preta and More Thoughts

    by David The Good February 22, 2021February 22, 2021
    February 22, 2021February 22, 2021
    Read more
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  • SoilTerra preta

    The Quest for Terra Preta

    by David The Good February 18, 2021February 18, 2021
    February 18, 2021February 18, 2021
    Read more
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  • Videos

    Managing Crop Nutrition (vs. Pest Management)

    by David The Good February 17, 2021February 17, 2021
    February 17, 2021February 17, 2021
    Read more
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  • Announcements

    It is snowing outside!

    by David The Good February 16, 2021
    February 16, 2021
    Read more
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  • Food ForestInvasive species

    Please Don’t Plant This (Name Scary Invasive Plant Here)

    by David The Good February 15, 2021February 15, 2021
    February 15, 2021February 15, 2021
    Read more
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  • Plant propagationSeminole pumpkins

    Seminole Pumpkin Dropping Fruit

    by David The Good February 12, 2021February 12, 2021
    February 12, 2021February 12, 2021
    Read more
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  • Frugality

    Stretching Potting Soil to Ludicrous Levels

    by David The Good February 11, 2021
    February 11, 2021
    Read more
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  • Experiments

    The Difference in Taste, Appearance and Health is Impressive

    by David The Good February 10, 2021
    February 10, 2021
    Read more
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Load More Posts

Florida gardening

A Visit to the Snyder Park Food Forest

by David The Good January 13, 2021

Back in 2019 I met Joan Starr at my gardening talk in The Great…

by David The Good January 13, 2021

A “Totally Crazy Easy Florida Gardening” Inspired Deep Mulch Garden

January 8, 2021January 8, 2021
by David The Good January 8, 2021January 8, 2021

David’s Beautiful Florida Food Forest Garden

November 9, 2020
by David The Good November 9, 2020

Terrie’s Florida Gardening Success

October 17, 2020
by David The Good October 17, 2020

Your Gardening Questions Answered!

July 31, 2019
by Steph July 31, 2019
View All

Garden design

Working in the Little Row Garden

by David The Good February 1, 2021

In my new video we take a look at the little row garden: You…

by David The Good February 1, 2021

Long-term Soil Improvement in Bad, Sandy Grit

January 19, 2021
by David The Good January 19, 2021

The Good Gardening Alley Food Forest System is Happening

January 14, 2021
by David The Good January 14, 2021

My As-Of-Yet-Unnamed AWESOME Gardening System

January 12, 2021January 11, 2021
by David The Good January 12, 2021January 11, 2021

Haven’t Lyrebirds heard of NO TILL???

January 6, 2021
by David The Good January 6, 2021
View All

Books

Soon, soon!

by David The Good December 23, 2020

The illustrations for GARDEN HEAT: A Jack Broccoli Novel are almost complete, then it’s…

by David The Good December 23, 2020

The Ultimate Test is Upon Man – The Test of His Fitness as a Species!

December 7, 2020
by David The Good December 7, 2020

Writing Progress And Extra Energy

December 4, 2020December 4, 2020
by David The Good December 4, 2020December 4, 2020

Back to Work on CYOFFF!

October 5, 2020October 5, 2020
by David The Good October 5, 2020October 5, 2020

“Everything you need to know to grow your own healthy food in Florida!”

July 7, 2020July 7, 2020
by David The Good July 7, 2020July 7, 2020
View All

Crops

Seminole Pumpkin Dropping Fruit

by David The Good February 12, 2021February 12, 2021

Karen has a question about why her Seminole pumpkin is dropping all its fruit:…

by David The Good February 12, 2021February 12, 2021

A Seminole Pumpkin Growing Tip

February 7, 2021
by David The Good February 7, 2021

Harvesting the Remainder of the Turnips

February 4, 2021
by David The Good February 4, 2021

The 12-Bed Amendment Experiment: Taste-Test Results!

February 3, 2021
by David The Good February 3, 2021

Growing Pigeon Peas in North Florida (Redux)

December 28, 2020
by David The Good December 28, 2020
View All

Encouragement

Making Christmas Cookie Ornaments as a Family

by David The Good December 18, 2020

Yesterday Rachel and the children made gingerbread cookie ornaments for our Christmas tree. As…

by David The Good December 18, 2020

Improving the Ground One Ground at a Time

December 16, 2020
by David The Good December 16, 2020

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 26, 2020November 24, 2020
by David The Good November 26, 2020November 24, 2020

Stay Positive

November 18, 2020
by David The Good November 18, 2020

Encouragement

November 3, 2020
by David The Good November 3, 2020
View All

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