Fruit and Vegetable Gardening > General discussion

Pruning apple trees

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NightHawk:
Nettles are indeed wildlife friendly, especially the stinging nettle - Urtica dioica.
Not as a direct food source, but the presence of the stings has allowed the relationship with numerous insect species to develop.

The stinging hairs of the nettle developed as a defence against grazing animals.  So effective are they that few grazers, with the exception of goats and hungry sheep (which you won't have in your average garden), will touch nettles when the stings are active.

So, nettles provide long-term shelter for insects, such as aphids and caterpillars of many butterflies and moths, as they can also move between the spines without activating the sting.  The insects, in turn, provide food for small birds, such as tits.

Having said that though, because nettles are so prolific (being native to Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America) I think there are enough nettle patches around to provide a suitable habitat for wildlife, so I wouldn't be depriving them of it by not having them in my garden  ;)

ideasguy:
Thanks for that info Laurie.
Urtica dioica - must add that to the Master Database and to my Ideas Genie garden areas :D

NightHawk:
I suppose weeds have an important role to play in your flower software database George.

Being able to identify weeds will stop less knowledgeable gardeners (such as myself for example) from pulling up our much loved and wanted plants accidentally  ::)  Some weeds can have really beautiful flower heads, so I always ask Kathy first before pulling up anything.
Food for thought maybe  :-\

Palustris:
I f you are pruning them for fruit, ie to force the tree into making spurs then August but if you want to reduce the tree height then pruning is done when the  tree is dormant.

ideasguy:
I'm forcing that and a few other trees for fruit, Eric, as they have reached the desired height.
You say August - is it too late this year now its almost mid September?

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