A mates mum is moving up here from Sydney and the house she has bought has about 1/2 dozen very neglected old stonefruit trees. They’re just coming into blossom.
I figured i’d cut out the dead branches and clean around the base, maybe prune very lightly and see what is what this season. What else should i do?
She also has a grape vine, well, 6 in fact, on a dilapidated trellis which needs to be rebuilt.
I’d like to know how hard i can cut back the grapes. (I figured i’d leave them this Summer also to see what is what.)
Any tips?

Longy said:

A mates mum is moving up here from Sydney and the house she has bought has about 1/2 dozen very neglected old stonefruit trees. They’re just coming into blossom.
I figured i’d cut out the dead branches and clean around the base, maybe prune very lightly and see what is what this season. What else should i do?
She also has a grape vine, well, 6 in fact, on a dilapidated trellis which needs to be rebuilt.
I’d like to know how hard i can cut back the grapes. (I figured i’d leave them this Summer also to see what is what.)
Any tips?

grapes can be cut back very hard .. though some varieties fruit better if some longer canes are left on(ie: sultana) Most viticulturists cut grapes back to two buds.

The stone fruit trees if recently transplanted should be ct back as much as you dare. The life of the tree is more important than which fruit it has. So reduce the tops of the trees according to the amount of root loss.

The stonefruit have not been transplanted. They’re growing in the yard, unloved. Grass growing all thought the bases. There’s dead wood and diseased wood and they look like rubbish. SO thye need a good haircut. Maybe back to a framework.

Longy said:

The stonefruit have not been transplanted. They’re growing in the yard, unloved. Grass growing all thought the bases. There’s dead wood and diseased wood and they look like rubbish. SO thye need a good haircut. Maybe back to a framework.

Yes .. hack anything that loooks damaged dead or spindly.. cut all the way back to wherever there is healthy bark.

yes remove the grass from around them and mulch them with some well rotted compost or manure.. water it in.

If the trees are that crook .. then it may be better to start new seedlings and graft the best fruiting types from your mum’s old trees to the new seedlings.

roughbarked said:

yes remove the grass from around them and mulch them with some well rotted compost or manure.. water it in.

If the trees are that crook .. then it may be better to start new seedlings and graft the best fruiting types from your mum’s old trees to the new seedlings.

Nah, if they don’t respond, they’ll probably be removed and maybe get her some mini trees with multiple fruits to grow in half wine barrels.

Longy said:

roughbarked said:

yes remove the grass from around them and mulch them with some well rotted compost or manure.. water it in.

If the trees are that crook .. then it may be better to start new seedlings and graft the best fruiting types from your mum’s old trees to the new seedlings.

Nah, if they don’t respond, they’ll probably be removed and maybe get her some mini trees with multiple fruits to grow in half wine barrels.

You may find that your um’s old trees are varieties not often available and they may taste better than newer varieties albeit.. don’t keep so long.. but I’d rather slurp on scrumptious nectarine juices than break my teeth on a cricket ball that never seems to get ripe.

roughbarked said:

Longy said:

roughbarked said:

yes remove the grass from around them and mulch them with some well rotted compost or manure.. water it in.

If the trees are that crook .. then it may be better to start new seedlings and graft the best fruiting types from your mum’s old trees to the new seedlings.

Nah, if they don’t respond, they’ll probably be removed and maybe get her some mini trees with multiple fruits to grow in half wine barrels.

You may find that your um’s old trees are varieties not often available and they may taste better than newer varieties albeit.. don’t keep so long.. but I’d rather slurp on scrumptious nectarine juices than break my teeth on a cricket ball that never seems to get ripe.

Indeed. However, being a subtropical area, i doubt they’re anything flash.

Longy said:

roughbarked said:

Longy said:

Nah, if they don’t respond, they’ll probably be removed and maybe get her some mini trees with multiple fruits to grow in half wine barrels.

You may find that your um’s old trees are varieties not often available and they may taste better than newer varieties albeit.. don’t keep so long.. but I’d rather slurp on scrumptious nectarine juices than break my teeth on a cricket ball that never seems to get ripe.

Indeed. However, being a subtropical area, i doubt they’re anything flash.

Yeah if that is the case, this would be true. :(