Avoiding Crotches In Fruit Trees
Categories:
Fruit Growing
How can I avoid bad crotches in fruit trees?
Crotches, which means branches of equal or nearly equal size, emerging
from a point at a very acute angle, should be prevented by cutting out
one or both of them. The branching of a lateral at a larger angle does
not form a crotch and it usually buttresses itself well on the larger
branch. That is a desirable form of branching. Short distances between
such branchings is desirable, because it makes a stronger and more
permanently upright limb, capable of sustaining much weight of foliage
and fruit. Build up the young tree by shortening in as it grows, so as
to get such a strong framework.