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Features

It’s time to talk about
how and when to prune

[MARCH 11, 2002]  With the calendar pointing to spring, it’s time to think about finishing up pruning chores. It doesn’t seem possible that we need to be gearing up for the outdoor season. But it is time, and one of the first items of business is pruning.

Let me start by saying that pruning is an art rather than a science. There are some basic rules of pruning that should be followed, and the rest is more personal taste than scientific fact.

Starting with the proper tools, you should have bypass hand shears (for cutting twigs up to one-fourth inch), bypass loppers (for those in-between cuttings of one-fourth inch to 1¼ inch), and a good pruning saw for larger limbs. Bypass, rather than anvil-type, pruners are recommended.

Next for the general rules that should be followed:

1.  Remove dead and broken branches.

2.  Remove diseased branches or diseased parts of branches.

3.  Remove water sprouts (rapidly growing young shoots that grow straight up).

4.  Remove suckers (that grow from roots or at ground level).

5.  Eliminate competition between branches.

6.  Eliminate "v" branching (where two branches of similar size form a narrow "v").

7.  Remove weak, slow-growing, drooping, non-productive branches.

8.  Remove branches, or parts of branches, that touch the ground.

9.  Avoid selecting main branches that grow toward the direction of prevailing summer winds (southwest in our case.)

10.  Particularly with fruit trees, do training-only pruning for the first five years (severe pruning early on will tend to delay fruit onset).

Now that we have the rules, we need to know when to do pruning. Ornamentals with high sap-flow rates (such as maples and sweet gums) should be pruned in December; other ornamentals should be done in February or early March. Common fruit trees (such as apples and pears) should be done in February or early March; stone fruits (such as peaches and apricots) are best done after flowering (since we get a crop only every so often to begin with); and evergreens are best done in late June.

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When making cuts, leave at least a one-sixteenth inch collar for proper healing. On large branches, make two cuts, with the first leaving a foot-long stub. These cutting procedures will reduce injury to tissues in the trunk or main branches. Don’t bother with "pruning paint." This sealant will not prevent diseases from entering, since they probably were present as soon as the branch was cut, and any sap flow will loosen the covering.

There are a few other things to keep in mind when pruning:

1.  Disinfect pruning tools with rubbing alcohol or bleach solution between each cut if you suspect diseases that can be transmitted.

2.  Be very careful about pruning apples or mountain ash infected with fire blight.

3.  Ash trees should not have much pruning done for about 10 years, due to potential borer infestations.

4.  Expect lots of sap flow this year on most things due to the warm winter we have had. This actually makes us feel worse than the effect on the plant.

For all you grape growers, the February or early March period is a good time to prune grapes. Train them to your trellis by leaving three good buds per branch. This number of good buds promotes grape and cluster size.

A final rule of thumb is this: "If you think you pruned too much, you’re about right!"

[John Fulton]

[MARCH 8, 2002]  Illinois Ag Leadership Foundation has launched its 2002 International Travel Seminar.  The trip allows Illinois agricultural leaders to experience and understand agricultural issues on a global scale. This year the group has gone to China. One of the participating delegates is Marty Ahrends of Lincoln. 

[Click here to follow the group to Beijing, China, and beyond.]

[LDN]

Farm Foundation involved in $2 million study in agricultural biotechnology

[MARCH 5, 2002]  Farm Foundation, based in Oak Brook, is one of the collaborating institutions receiving a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a national study of university-industry relationships in agricultural biotechnology. The grant is funded from the Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems under USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service.

The three-year project, "Public Goods and University-Industry Relationships in Agricultural Biotechnology," will assess university-industry research, licensing and other partnerships, with special emphasis on the mix of public and private goods provided through agricultural biotechnology. While the project will be headquartered at Portland State University and headed by Project Director Dave Ervin, a professor in Portland State University’s Environmental Sciences and Resources Program, Farm Foundation will have a major role in disseminating project findings to policymakers and private sector decision-makers.

"With agricultural biotechnology research being carried out increasingly in the private sector, often in collaboration with university researchers, questions about the relationships between universities and companies to develop agricultural biotechnology products are the subject of much speculation and little scientific information. Farm Foundation is pleased to be involved with one of the first studies to improve our understanding of the relationships, their effects on products and appropriate policies to address any potential issues," according to Walter J. Armbruster, president of Farm Foundation.

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Farm Foundation’s mission is to improve the economic and social well-being of U.S. agriculture and rural people by helping public and private sector decision-makers identify and understand forces that will shape the future.

Agricultural biotechnology has the potential to improve production and human health and reduce pollution. The project investigators will interview university and industry personnel; conduct a survey of university scientists, technology officers and administrators; and undertake socioeconomic analysis to identify problems and potential policies to foster the development of products with traits that promote widespread public benefits. Project findings will inform key stakeholders about the manner in which agricultural biotechnology research is planned, coordinated and rewarded; and stimulate constructive dialogue among academics, commercial firms and policymakers.

[Farm Foundation news release]

Honors & Awards

Ag Announcements

[MARCH 12, 2002]  Value-added agriculture. Home-grown fuels. We hear a lot about these topics lately and with good reason. Our local economy relies on successful farming strategies, and our country is demanding renewable energy sources.

To take a look at alternative fuels, Logan County Agriculture Committee, a subcommittee of the Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce, invites you to attend the third annual Logan County Ag Day breakfast. It will be at 7 a.m. Wednesday, March 20, at the Knights of Columbus, 217 N. Limit St. in Lincoln.

Mike Lockart, a technical expert in fuels for the FS/Growmark system of cooperatives, is the featured speaker. His message will cover home-grown fuels, the benefits of renewable fuels, and cooperative systems that enhance the market for the crops our producers grow.

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In addition, the winners of the 2002 Ag Day scholarships will be announced. The scholarships will be awarded to two or more young people in the Logan County area who are studying or will study toward careers in ag-related businesses or research.

There is no cost to attend this breakfast, thanks to the generosity of local business sponsors. However, due to limited seating, the committee must request reservations. Please RSVP no later than March 13 to the local chamber of commerce, 735-2385.

[Larry Huelskoetter, chair of the
Ag Committee’s Ag Day 2002]

[MARCH 11, 2002]  At a local event sponsored by the Land of Lincoln Soil Savers, two Illinois farmers will give presentations about agriculture in Brazil and Argentina.

People attending will have an opportunity to learn "the true story of the New Frontier" and evaluate the competition.

Greg Lepper, an Ashland producer, visited the Mato Grosso area in west central Brazil in January.

Tom Martin, a Mount Pulaski producer, visited Brazil and Argentina in February.

Their presentations will be at the Lincoln Rec Center, 1400 Primm Road, from 8 to 11 a.m. on Monday, March 18.

Coffee and doughnuts will be served.

The public is invited. Call (217) 732-2010, Ext. 3 for reservations.

[News release]

[FEB. 18, 2002]  The Midwest Equipment Dealers Association, through its educational foundation, Midwest Equipment Foundation, will provide two $1,000 scholarships and four $750 scholarships for the 2002-03 school year to students enrolled in association-approved community college training programs.

A copy of the scholarship announcement brochure with scholarship rules, application form and listing of approved training programs has been provided to all high school vo-ag instructors and community colleges that provide MEDA-approved training programs. The deadline for scholarship applications is April 1.

Scholarship information can also be picked up at Central Illinois Ag’s Atlanta store, 200 Sharon St., 1 (800) 762-2325, or from MEDA directly at 1 (800) 236-6332.

[News release]

[JAN. 30, 2002]  Trees for spring planting are available through the Logan County Soil and Water Conservation District, 1650 Fifth Street Road. Evergreens are sold in bundles of 25 and hardwood is sold in bundles of five, but individual trees may also be purchased. The trees are scheduled to be delivered in April. Click below for an order form to print out, complete and return to the SWCD office with your payment by March 15.

[Click here for order form.]

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