Friday, June 7, 2002

'Stripping' is a young tree training procedure used to isolate and protect the 'central-leader' of an apple tree. The three to four buds directly below a heading cut on newly planted apple trees develop vigorous, upright shoots. Choose the single most upright shoot to remain as the leader, and then strip (with a downward pull) or pinch out the few competing shoots (usually 2 or 3) directly below the leader shoot you want to maintain and promote. These should be removed as soon as possible to focus the growth into the central-leader and prevent a multi-leader tree from developing. Hand pruners may also be used. These competing shoots are easiest to identify and remove when 3-4 inches long. For pictures of the stripping technique, visit the UMass Fruit Advisor. Next week: using clothespins to form desirable branch crotch angles. Note: this article was co-written with Win Cowgill, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, and also appeared in the June 4, 2002 edition of the Rutgers Plant & Pest Advisory, Fruit Edition. 12:34:10 PM