Autumn Prep 2023

New back benches, peeling back the shade cloth, cleaning up trees for a final run.

Continuing to fertilize and clean up pruning, as needed.

General yard clean up. Moved long term projects further back. Younger plants needing time up along the wall.

Curious what to love to our raised planter to help grow the base.

Actions:

• Wire branches you like with dramatic movement as fall will thicken branches and harden in that shape. After thickening, the unwired branch will bias to be straighter and less flexible to bend later.

Always learning “what do I regret having done…”

• Any tree in early development of trunk or primary branches—should not be defoliating for ramification and leaf reduction. Maximize leaf size and energy creation, don’t slow down growth by defoliation. Leave leaf mass.

• Continue to let lower branches to grow long or upwards at the end.

• Okay to clip apical tip to send hormones to back bud—only on hardened stem/branch.