Tree Following - September 2023 - the ripening

Here we are in September already and the two quinces, both on Quince Major have settled in for the ripening.

I know we are still officially in the Quince Count, and I may be counting my quinces before they are hatched, but there are still two of them on Quince Major and none on Quince Minor.

and both are still high up in the tree and so difficult for me to pick.  I have started to seriously ponder this now.  There are a combination of factors in play and they all have the same solution.

Quince Major is now too tall, I prune it routinely, but this year it has gone for height and I need to reduce it quite considerably.  A good third I think, if not a half.  This will either encourage it or make it sulk, but either way it has to be done.

Quince Minor is a bit overshadowed by Quince Major, because Quice Major has grown so much.  Who knew that trees would grow.....  Yes they might be too close together, I might have to admit this.  So solution 1 pruning Quince Major will also be solution 2 for Quince Minor.

There is a third issue: the boundary hedge includes a large field maple.  I have to prune it back to let light in fairly frequently but I am not certain I have done so in the last couple of years.  So solution 3 is to prune the field maple so let in more light.  It is a good job I have my Stihl battery powered chainsaw which is so so useful; but I also feel I have an equipment gap that needs addressing.  I have my eye on a telescopic prune, a mini chainsaw on a stick.  I have seen the one I want to buy and I am just holding off until it is closer to when I will be using it.

So watch this space.....

More followed trees can be found here courtesy of Squirrelbasket

Take care and be kind.

For more from the Blackberry Garden follow me on Twitter Facebook and Instagram