What's Happening in the Garden Today?

Like all of us, trees can develop an awkward, undesirable shape. Luckily, for the arboreal types, there is a solution.

A thin supple branch can be reshaped by bending it into a new position and can be achieved by using a clothespin to attach one offshoot to another. Another method is to use a piece of wood to push a branch away from the trunk. My personal favorite is to hang a weight on a young limb until it bends to the proper position. This works best on branches that are at least two or three years old. Fishing sinkers and weights work well since they usually have a hole at one end.

Once the limb has grown and stays naturally in the new position, the weighted device can be removed. Weighting or bending limbs of fruit trees stimulates early production.