Keeping Dwarf Trees Dwarf 



T. SHEWARD 



Dwarf Peach 

 with the young 

 growth stopped. 

 Shown in detail 

 above 



FIG.4 

 DWARFS 

 APPLE 



Winter prun- 

 ing of the side 

 shoots is done 

 to keep the 

 tree within 

 bounds (Figs. 

 11 and 12) with 

 fruit spurs at A 



Pruning the Summer Growth Is 

 the Secret of Control. It 

 Forces the Development 

 of Fruit Spurs 



EVEN a very small garden can enjoy 

 several fruit trees of different kinds 

 if dwarfs — that is really dwarfs, not 

 merely low-headed standards — are used. 

 The "dwarf trained" tree is what I have 

 in mind, so called because it is kept within 

 a definite preconceived form; either 

 pyramid or trained on a single hori- 

 zontal wire as a cordon, or on several 

 in espalier form. 



They are kept small, first of all, because 

 the varieties are grafted on special stocks, 

 and secondly, by continually keeping the 

 growth under control and never allowing 

 the leafy shoot to run away. They are 

 continually pinched back or stopped all 

 through summer. The result of this, of 

 course, is to throw spurs which produce 

 the flower and later the fruit. 



The fancy types of trained tree can 

 be effectively used on pergolas, arches, 

 trellises, etc., and as a backing to a flower 

 border, a frame to the kitchen garden 

 or other purposes that may suggest them- 

 selves. The beauty of it is that the tree occupies prac- 

 tically no room at all! When planting dwarfs the point of 

 graft must not be below the level of the ground . That is 

 important, otherwise the graft may throw out roots and 

 lose the effect of the dwarfing stock. 



During July and August is the time for summer pruning. 



All leafy shoots or leaders are pruned but do not pinch back 



the natural spurs (Fig. 13). If a leader is not properly cut 



back in winter (Fig. 10) fruit spurs will form at the bottom 



(A) with leaf spurs above (B). 



Bush fruits such as currants and gooseberries 

 can be similarly stopped and spurred. Peaches 

 are dwarfed by budding on the plum. For apples 



The laterals 

 (Fig. 14, H) are 

 pinched at four 

 leaves which 

 induces the for- 

 mation of spurs 

 as shown in the 

 lower drawing 

 showing the 

 winter pruning 

 of the same 

 shoot 



FIG.3 

 DWARF 

 CHERRY 



use the Paradise seedling, and for pears the quince. 



Prune the leaders, L, in Fig. 1 and 

 the side leaders, A, to six leaves 

 each 





Above shows the summer stopping of the 

 leader. If made shorter (Fig. 8) side shoots 

 start (Fig. 9) and must be stopped at one 

 leaf, A. In winter cut back to two buds 

 (Fig. 10) 



mm* 



239 



