Hi Folks,
The last couple of years I've found it necessary to remove some rather large
branches to open centers and generally maintain the "vase" shape I'm looking for.
Some of this kind of got out of hand.There's only so many 5 gallon pots you can
hang on a tree.Supporting their weight was a big problem.I don't have any photo's
of the air layers hanging,but here is the resulting product.
Love the structure on this one.Don't know how much I had to do w/it.
Looks like the apical growth was removed and it branched nicely.Just
shortened up the branching this week,should fill out well.
A couple of the others.
Getting kind of lanky on that last one.No fruiting wood below 27".Always
the tension of "I wanna harvest fruit on that layer",or structure.It'll be a fine
tree,but it's almost out of my desired structure.I could cut it back,but then what
was the point of the large air layer?
Here's the one that changed my thinking on putting up air layers.
This thing needs decapitation below the existing framework.Probably
to the node above the existing bud break.That would start the structure
about 7" from the soil line w/three buds breaking evenly around the trunk.
Which brought me to this.Forget the fruit.Cut it back hard.When growth breaks
prune it again and pinch the desired branching at 5-7 nodes.That should slow
down the top growth which means you won't need a large pot to support a
large root ball.Repeat pinching again if the new growth get's out of hand.
A little color for my friends back east.
Tangelo
Dancy
Graffiti
Cheers,
Paul