Crabapple Ramification Question

[GrimLore]

I have two Crabapple trees that are 7 foot tall growing in rather large pots. My plan is to air layer them down to 3 feet or so in a few years. Meanwhile I am curious if I can get good Ramification if I do as I do with decorative Maples. Normally in Spring I prune the tips of all of the branches and the results have been excellent. I have done no work to the Crabapples and was curious if the same or similar method would work out well.

Grimmy

 

[Stan Kengai]

Yes, this is the best way to build ramification on crabs, but the timing is important. Nip out the terminals of new shoots when they have reached about 1" in length. If you wait until shoots are much longer than an inch, you run the risk of getting non-flowering branches. This is very critical, even in material under development, as the branches will bloom eventually, but it can take up to 6 years in my experience to regain the bloom. The caveat here is that sometimes, the non-flowering branches will never flower on the older (non-flowering) wood, but only from where it started re-blooming (hope that makes sense).

Branches can be pruned back at the end of summer/beginning of fall without worry. But this is only for shape, not ramification.

 

[GrimLore]

Thanks Stan! I appreciate the response. Last Fall was the only time they have been pruned and I am looking forward to starting developing them in the Spring. It is a rather long project but I can see having two real nice 3 to 4 foot specimens in just a few more years They have been growing 4 years from whips, will receive 2 or 3 Years of development and then another year or so air layering them down to size.

Grimmy

 

[Poink88]

Stan,

Do you do this just once or repeatedly in a growing season?

Thanks!

 

[Stan Kengai]

Stan,

Do you do this just once or repeatedly in a growing season?

Thanks!

You generally only need to do it once, since most varieties of crabs only have one big flush of growth per year (in the spring). If you keep trimming throughout the season, you not only run the risk of creating non-flowering branches, but also of weakening your plant. In the fall, I will cut branches back to the first 2 or 3 nodes, which were kept short from the initial spring trimming. This is how you build twig density, branch movement (since wiring crabs does little good in this regard), and balance the energy of the plant.

 

[M. Frary]

So you trim them back once in the spring and then in the fall? How fine do the twigs get on crabapples? I ask because I have a couple in my yard that I plan on layering some branches from and the tietary branches seem kind of large.

 

[Beng]

You can trim back several times a year easily if you have a strong growing season. But you wil not get flowering the following year. If your goals to build ramification then flowers shouldn't matter yet.

Ben

 

[GrimLore]

Now I am looking over some Pear, Plum, and Cherry trees. Will the madness ever end?

Grimmy

 

[Poink88]

Now I am looking over some Pear, Plum, and Cherry trees. Will the madness ever end?

Grimmy

Sorry bro...no. I was looking for ume last year but can't find any so I ended buying a plum at Home Depot (flowers look similar). Chopped it and it sprouted vigorously. Hopefully I can make it bloom again in 2 years. LOL

 

[Nybonsai12]

Brent at Evergreen gardenworks as Ume. Fred Truck's article referenced that he got his from forestfarm nursery in Oregon too. I have checked their website and although I'm not sure about specific availability they seem to have a lot of varieties. If you want more developed stock I think House of Bonsai has some up on ebay, much pricier though.

 

[Nybonsai12]

Now I am looking over some Pear, Plum, and Cherry trees. Will the madness ever end?

Grimmy

Grim,
I think Brent has a variety of these too. I got two seedlings of what he calls Gremels Pear a year or two ago. They will take a long time to be anything though. Don't they say "plant pears for heirs"?

 

[GrimLore]

Thanks for the info I am really not certain why but after my 6th season of making things grow and keeping things alive I have 7 to 10 real nice plants that I moved, non fruiting Bonsai Varieties. I moved 15 others and gave away a LOT. Looking at what I kept that are not Bonsai but trees it seems I will be working on several fruit trees this year as they are really holding my interest. Different phase I guess

Grimmy