trees

The two higher layers consist of hight trees, medium high and fruit trees.

The aerial form and roots of trees play an important role on the placement in the ecosystem.

__Fukuoka pruning method__ Fruit trees are used to be pruned in artificial forms corresponding to tillage and tractor needs but in a forest garden a more natural form should be maintained. Fucuoca have done much research on natural forms of trees and phyllotaxy. Pruned trees need more pruning to maintain an artificial shape to survive while coming back to a natural form is a very difficult task that we are trying to understand and apply.
 * Fruit trees**

1. Observing the tree form, crossection, mesurements that are repeated 2. Find out trees natural shape and use as a model 3. Prune to lead the artificial shape to a more natural form 4. Observe trees reaction, detect natural patterns like spirals 5. Reduce pruning progressively, discreet pruning of un natural branches

Results: -Almost no pruning needs -Roots develop deeper and make tree resistant to extreme weather condtions -Stable fruiting

Easily can be succeded to: persimmon, chestnut, apples, loquat, wine vines (chinese gooseberry and grape)

Central leader type trees: persimmon, chestnut, pear, peach, other (difference in number, angle and direction of scaffold) Satsuna orange: low, pyramidal form or taller cypress llike conical form when late ripening Summer orange, shaddock, persimmon, chestnut, pear, apple, loquat: tall, cedar like conical form

Scientific notes for pruning: -A tree dies when overcrowding between adjoining scaffold branches and laterals. -Research on: desirable number of scaffold branches, the number and angle of lateral branches, proper spacing between adjoining branches

Example: Fucuoca experimented on wineglass shaped Satsuma orange trees. Fistrly let them unpruned. The branches were too dense at the periphery of the tree and got ill, fruits had confused shapes and density. Secondly he tried an open centered system. He then observed tha natural form of citrus tree which is a central leader type form. After 5-6 years unpruned saplings had developped their natural form creating regular patterns and densities. Previously pruned trees were closer to natural form and needed almost no pruning at all.