Beekeeping, Gardening and Quilting in Eastern Wake County, North Carolina









Saturday, February 27, 2010

Lee Calhoun - Pruning Fruit Trees




This past week I had another opportunity to visit with Lee Calhoun and learn about pruning fruit trees. He just has such a wealth of information to pass along and answers questions that to him I'm sure must seem simple sometimes. But he's more than willing to share his knowledge.

He talked and while talking did some pruning to pear trees, grape vines, apple trees, peach trees and figs.




These are some of the many varieties of dwarf apple trees he has on his place - several hundred. These trees are spaced about 2' apart - landscape plastic is under the gravel. The grass planted in the middle could be other things but this works the best for him (the question was asked). Not much maintenance - he can pull up the grass or spray Roundup if needed. He plants his trees north to south and fertilizers around Valentines Day and Labor Day. He also does some spraying - dormant oil in March.





It was freezing cold - the wind was vicious! BRRR . . . .

I did get a rooting or twig with roots from his English Brown Turkey Fig bush. Last summer that bush had the biggest figs I've ever seen. It's already in a pot in the greenhouse.

http://townbees.blogspot.com/2009/09/heirloom-apple-tour.html