Around 30 hobby gardeners took part in the fruit tree pruning course organized by the westheim association for horticulture and landscape gardening. Certified gardener edwin fella had a lot of advice to offer. Kick-off was the preservation of tree health. Lichen growth does not damage the tree, fella emphasized. Lichens are a sign of good air quality.
Medlars, on the other hand, are parasites that weaken the tree and must be kept in check. When it comes to planting fruit trees, "frustration and pleasure begin with the choice of location". The proximity to other plants and woods must also be taken into account, for example, thuja plants challenge pear lattice rust, and when planting biennial fruit trees such as sub-cherries, attention must be paid to the proximity of suitable pollinators.
The tree crown must allow light and air to enter, so the rule of thumb for pruning fruit trees, according to fella, is: "remove anything that is crisscrossed, dead, growing too steeply upwards, or growing ruber towards the neighbor." Those present learned what the sap scale means when pruning fruit trees and that the first eight years of a fruit tree's life are the most important: "what hanschen doesn't learn …". In the young tree, pruning shapes the tree architecture in the form of a pyramid.
If the pruning is too severe and if aste is not cut close enough to the trunk, water shoots will occur. In summer, when they are soft, they can simply be twisted out by hand at the base. In conservation pruning, the predefined tree growth form is maintained and light pruning is done.
More severe rejuvenation pruning can be done on old trees. To optimize the fruit harvest, fella advises reducing the use of pesticides to a minimum and instead calling for beneficial plants. One to two bird nesting boxes and one insect hotel per garden are sufficient. With a starling rafter in the nesting box of a cherry tree, other birds are prevented from plundering the cherries.
The participants were also instructed in the refinement techniques of fruit woods. The participants learned that good tools are essential for all work. Due to the high level of interest, the board is planning an extra course in 2019 on the refinement of fruit woods or a cutting course for precious woods.