[Chiswickian]

my new damson arrived yesterday - catalogue said it's a feathered maiden. I'm ok about the planting bit - the hole has been prepped for a while BUT I am pretty clueless about the initial formative pruning as the tree that has been sent seems to bear no relation to what the books say. Anybody have any tips or references I can look up?
Tree came from T and M (I had vouchers for T and M having won an RHS competition) and dunno wheteher they have an advice line I could call
Ta in advance
Ian

[senrab_nhoj]

google found me this link

http://www.lythdamsons.org.uk/infoandadvice.asp#

[Stripey_cat]

How do you want it pruned?  (Options are fan, bush and pyramid, I think, unless you want a big, old-fashioned tree.)  Also, do you know the rootstock, because that might limit options.  Basically, you will need to summon your courage and, as soon as it looks to be growing nicely, whack off most of the main trunk (about a foot left for a fan, and maybe 3' for a large bush).

[treacleminer]

Ooh - thanks for that link Senrab - its really useful especially as my damson is a lyth valley one but I have never really thought about its pruning!

[David.]

google found me this link

http://www.lythdamsons.org.uk/infoandadvice.asp#

That's the best one I found last month when I cleared out a really overgrown orchard plot we've taken on and I left about a dozen wild damsons (15' + tall standing) after clearing it out with a chainsaw & brushcutter, so obviously they were rather 'skinny'.

Thought I'd leave them to see if they spread a bit this year with nothing around them and top them in the summer so any fruit would be within reach of a picker whilst standing on stepladders.

I rather like them in jam and chutney.

[Chiswickian]

planning to grow as a bush I guess, thanks for that
Ian