Winterizing Small Trees

[rScotty]

Small trees grow so slowly here that any help we can give them is worthwhile.

I was wondering what others use to prop up limbs of their fruit and small trees against the snow load? What do you use for poles?
Right now I could use some poles about ten feet long to prop some branches against snowload. A forked end is good too. For apple trees, props are good just to help with the weight of the fruit. At least they are until the bears stop by....

Our local forest is pine, fir, alder, willow, birch, and aspen -are of them are too weak and jointed to make usable small diameter poles. Plus, I'm just not interested in cutting down a live tree to get a pole.

A few years back I did findsome usable hardwood branches in a local slash pile. But haven't been lucky at that lately.

Last week I found some nice 6' varished hickory brush handles on sale at the local hardware for $8.00 each. Naturally I bought a few to try, but by the time I put something on the threaded end to hold the branch.....and maybe extended the butt a few feet on the other end ....well, it gets costly. I might go that route if nothing shows up.

BTW, what is that universal tapered thread that all the mop and brush handles use? Does it have a name?
rScotty

 

[California]

The previous generation of tree props here were all full dimension 1-by, 3 to 4 inches wide, redwood from back when that was inexpensive. But those props have been in use for decades and every year more of them break. A few years ago I bought the cheap HF table saw and ripped all the scrap used lumber that had accumulated here. I hit a few nails, even after reviewing the scrap lumber with a metal detector. The carbide blade stood up to that abuse surprisingly well.

After the floods there, is there salvaged used framing lumber available?

One thing I'm doing here on the family trees that we invite the relatives to share with us - pears, peaches, persimmons, a few of the semi-dwarf apples - is topping them severely so they can be safely harvested by amateur guests and using only the 8ft ladder. I won't let anyone else use the 11 or 14 ft ladders after watching inlaws kick the 8 ft out from under them then tear down a branch as they ease to the ground. No injuries so far ... Some people just don't belong on ladders.

The older trees in the photo are being replaced by semi-dwarf as they age and collapse. The smaller trees bear nearly as much and there's a saving in harvest labor.

 

[bmaverick]

Mine are still tiny. I'll be using a few feed sacks bonded together to wrap with. Elderberry and Apricot right now.