Union Democrat

Mills Garden area, Pesce property annexed to Sonora in 1963

150 years ago Feb. 2, 1878

A watchmaker by the name of Miller who has lived at Coulterville, left that place a few days ago, taking with him several watches that had been left him to repair. Ira Folsom started in pursuit, finding that he Miller had disposed of a watch on Rattlesnake, he continued on, until he found the man at Columbia, where he was arrested on Thursday night. The fellow had hired a shop, and likely play the same trick again. Miller was brought here and placed in jail while efforts are being made to find the missing watches.

120 years ago 60 years ago Feb. 5, 1963

Annexation of a 4.72 acre parcel of land to the City of Sonora will be considered at a public hearing scheduled March 18.

City Councilmen last night affirmed their intent to annex the Mills Garden area in adopting a resolution prepared by City Atty. William Coffill.

The addition would extend the city boundary out Highway 49 to include the Mills Garden rental units owned by James R. Mills and a section of Woods creek. In addition to the Mills property, the annex includes the John Pesce property on the west side of the creek and the Menzes, Delucchi, Conde and Poore properties on the east side of the creek, extending to Columbia Way.

40 years ago

Seeing a notice about a pruning demonstration at a local nursery, I stopped by to learn the what, why and how of fruit tree pruning. I had no idea that there is an art and science to pruning. When I saw a Master Gardener, who was making the presentation, take a beautiful looking tree and reduce it to a vertical stick, I was sure that I had just witnessed a crime. Little did I know that, due to my lack of knowledge, it was I who was committing injustice to my own trees.

This article will cover the basic principles of pruning trees, discuss pruning that will support the well-developed root system, as well as encourage fruit production and tree shaping. It will also discuss h w to prune different types of fruit trees.

I toured the nursery and found a nice-looking tree that produced the fruit I enjoy and asked the nursery attendant to prune it. She seemed to cut $10 from the $15 tree I had picked out and sent me home to plant it. I now realize that what I paid for was the well-developed root system.

There are many ways to train and prune fruit trees, and no single method is right for all situations and needs. Fruit trees should be pruned every year.

It is important that you know why you are pruning — your objective should be very clear. It was not a crime that I had witnessed when I viewed the initial demonstration. I just did not understand the objective.

The principal objectives of fruit-tree pruning are:

• to direct or control growth, shape and size

• to stimulate new fruiting wood and encourage flower and fruit production

• to remove broken, damaged and diseased wood

• to space the new fruiting wood to allow good air circulation and sunlight penetration into the canopy.

You should prune in late winter or early spring (late dormant period) for fruit production and some tree shaping. (Note: apricots should be pruned six weeks before rain is expected or after the rainy season has ended to prevent water-borne disease.) Prune in spring to summer to control growth, do some shaping, and help thin fruit.

There are three pruning phases in the life of a deciduous fruit tree.

The first pruning phase occurs at planting, when the first cut should be made to foster development of a vase-shaped structure. After a bare root tree is planted, the trunk should be “headed back” at 24 – 32 inches above the soil surface. This most important cut serves to establish low origination points of structural branches which will allow most pruning, harvesting and pest management to be performed without a ladder during the life of the tree.

The second phase of pruning begins in the second year after planting and serves to establish tree structure. The initial low heading cut results in several branches growing outward at various directions and angles. Three or four strong upwardly-growing branches, spaced at intervals around the trunk, should be selected as main branches (scaffold). Additional branches should be removed. Pruning in the next few years should concentrate on structural development of these main branches and well-spaced secondary branches (laterals).

The third phase of pruning begins with the onset of maturity, which is 5 to7 years for most fruit trees. Pruning at this stage serves to invigorate and direct the growth of the tree with a goal of keeping it producing new, fruiting wood. In home orchards, peaches should be pruned the most severely and cherries the least.

There are important differences between each type of fruit tree. For example, peaches bear fruit on terminal wood of the previous season. Therefore, wellspaced lateral shoots with flower buds are retained. It is common to thin (remove)

Tuolumne County master gardeners will hold the first Open Garden Day of the year on Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Demonstration Garden in Sonora.

The garden will be open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and fruit tree pruning will be the focus of the event. Demonstrations begin at 10:30 a.m.

Free Open Garden Days are held on the first Saturday of each month, February through December. The garden is at 251 S. Beretta St. in Sonora.

For more information or for home gardening assistance, call the Master Gardeners help line at (209) 533-5912. half to two-thirds of peach laterals and to shorten (head) remaining fruiting wood. Apricots, plums and cherries bear fruit laterally on spurs which live three, five, and 10 years, respectively.

There will be live demonstrations of fruit tree pruning on Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Tuolumne County Master Gardener demonstration garden behind Cassina High School, 251 S. Barretta St., Sonora (see related story, this page).

This article adapted from University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Kern County “Planting and Early Care of Deciduous Fruit Trees” and former UCCE Tuolumne County Master Gardeners Gary Fowler and Jim Gormely.

University of California Cooperative Extension Central Sierra Master Gardeners can answer home gardening questions. Call (209) 533-5912 in Tuolumne County or (209) 754-2880 in Calaveras County, or fill out an easyto-use problem questionnaire online at www.ucanr.edu/survey/survey. cfm?surveynumber=7269.

GOOD OLD DAYS

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2023-02-01T08:00:00.0000000Z

2023-02-01T08:00:00.0000000Z

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