Pruning
Fruit Trees
- You'll
want to know how to prune fruit trees
so they will grow to produce good
quality fruit, not just quantity.
A good fruit-producing tree should
be low enough so that you can reach
the fruit easily, strong enough to
support itself, and open enough for
sun and air to penetrate.The branches
should radiate around the trunk almost
equally apart and emerge from the
trunk at as close to a right angle
as possible. If you want a productive
fruit tree it's necessary to to establish
a definite method of pruning from
the time the tree is planted. Pruning
should always be done in the late
dormant season prior to blooming or
foliage emerging. Pruning fruit trees
within one week of blooming usually
does no harm.We will address the Vase
Training Method for peach and plum
trees and the Central Leader Training
Method for apples and pears.
PEACH
TREES - The Vase Training
Method method produces
a vase-shaped tree consisting of three
or four scaffolds of equal lengths
and no central leader. Wait to prune
peach trees until late winter when
it is easiest to detect branches and
buds that have been damaged due to
cold weather. If a flower bud looks
as though it has been winter-killed
cut it off. Cut off winter-killed
limbs that look wrinkled. Most of
the peach trees that we sell at the
nursery have been container grown
and thus are at the second dormant
season stage as pictured above. When
your new fruit tree goes dormant refer
to the diagram above to see what stage
the tree is in. The branches indicated
by shadows represent existing branches
that you should remove.
Second
Dormant Season - In the second
dormant season cut back upward-growing
branches near the center of the peach
tree to short stubs. The small clusters
of growth that develop from these
stubs help to keep the center open
for the next few months. If the 3
or 4 primary scaffolds (main branches)
have not yet been selected, make this
selection now. Remove any growth that
has developed below the primary scaffolds
and any shoots that arise from the
scaffolds within 6 inches of the trunk.
In mid-spring cut back the clusters
of growth that emerged from the stubs
and remove any shoots growing on the
trunk below the scaffold.
Third
Dormant Season - By this
time the 3 or 4 primary scaffolds
will have been chosen and all of the
competing branches removed as shown
in the diagram above. During dormancy
eliminate branches with narrow-angled
crotches or limbs. Remove any stubby
center shoots. At the end of this
season the form of the tree should
be clearly recognizable. Peach trees
bear fruit on one year old wood and
require heavy pruning to stimulate
new growth. For heading cuts (cuts
to tips of branches) diagram scroll
below.
PLUM
TREES - Plum trees
form naturally spreading branches
that respond well to the Vase Shape
Method described above for peach trees.
Not as many heading cuts are required
and instead concentrate on thinning
small twigs and branches to increase
fruit size on young trees.
APPLE
& PEAR TREES -
The Central Leader Training Method
is recommended for apple and pear
trees. This system trains the trees
into a pyramidal shape to maximize
vital sunlight exposure. Most of the
apple and pear trees that we sell
at the nursery are 2 years old and
have been pruned with a central leader
established and several scaffold branches
(main branches).
Every
Dormant Season - Cut the
central leader to a 24 inches above
the the tier just below it (the second
tier). Maintain a pyramidal shape
by leaving the lower scaffolds longer.
Continue to remove shoots that come
out from the trunk below the lowest
scaffolds as well as any shoots that
develop higher on the trunk. Cut any
upward-growing branches growing from
the scaffolds (main branches).
Later
Years - To maintain a desired
height and spread it will be necessary
to prune every dormant season to restrict
top growth. To do so prune all of
the lateral growing branches off of
the central leader. Then head the
central leader by one half of the
previous years growth. As the tree
grows it will be necessary to thin
limbs to allow sunlight to penetrate
throughout the tree. If the top tiers
become overgrown with large branches
remove them rather than prune large
numbers of smaller branches below.
Rejuvinating
a Neglected Apple Tree - First
thin undesirable interior branches
that are diseased, broken, growing
upward or downward from the scaffolds
(main branches), or branches that
cross or crowd other branches. To
reduce tree height cut upward growing
branches off at an outward growing
branch that ios nearly the same diameter
and about the height that is desired
for the tree. On severley overgrown
trees that are much taller than desired,
make no more than 3 or 4 of these
cuts each year until the height is
sufficiently reduced. Continue to
thin remaining branches throughout
the tree targeting weak growth and
underhanging branches. Begin thinning
by working from the periphery of the
tree towards the trunk leaving some
fruit bearing wood in the interior.
Before
Pruning |
After
Pruning |
OTHER
PRUNING TIPS FOR FRUIT TREES
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Thinning
Cuts
remove selected branches without
disrupting the existing growth
pattern. Every thinning cut increases
sunlight penetration to the trees
interior and promotes greater
flowering and fruit production.
Cut a branch back to the parent
stem without leaving a stub. |
Heading
Cuts encourage
new growth directly behind the
pruning cut. Heading cuts can
be used to stiffen scaffold branches
by directing energy to them. A
branch can be headed to shorten
it and keep it in balance with
the other scaffolds. |
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When
branches are spread to a desirable
angle, tip growth slows and
flower buds form and produce
plenty of fruit. |
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Use
a piece of wood to brace young
scaffold branches (main branches)
at an angle as pictured above.
Leave wood brace in for 6 months
or so. |
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All About Trees |