The Basics of Winter Pruning
OSGF
January in Virginia is chilly and gray - the perfect time of year to give Oak Spring’s fruit trees their annual “haircuts”!
Several of Oak Spring’s distinctive rounded apple trees, recently pruned.
Our Arboriculture, Conservation, and Landscapes (ACL) team members will spend much of this month pruning Oak Spring’s 100+ apple trees. The trees are dormant during the cold months, and are less likely to be infected by disease through the wounds left by pruning cuts. Regular Pruning helps keep the trees free of disease and encourages fruiting and flowering, as well as ensuring that they keep the unique structural forms given to them by Bunny Mellon.
In the video below, OSGF staff members Clif Brown and Dr. Martin Hamilton - the leaders of our upcoming course on the Basics of Pruning - chat about caring for the site’s many fruit trees and show us some basic pruning techniques on a 40 year old apple tree.
While this year’s pruning class is full, we have plenty of short courses and workshops centered around the care of trees and landscapes on the horizon, including courses on Invasive Plant Management and Control, Landscape Interpretation, and more. Visit www.osgf.org/short-courses-workshops to learn more about our upcoming opportunities.