With dwarf fruit trees, you need to take care not to let the branches get too long as they cannot hold the weight and will end up splitting. Click here for tips on how and when to prune fruit trees in pots. Normally, you prune fruit trees to form an open center or to form a cone shape. Discourage the growth of multiple trunks and inward-facing branches. Secateurs, loppers and pruning saw must be sharp, so they cut cleanly, and free of debris. Ripe yellow quinces on the tree A prune is a dried plum of any cultivar, mostly the European plum (Prunus domestica).Use of the term "prune" for fresh plums is obsolete except when applied to varieties (of plum) grown for drying.. Large limbs equal large wounds, which are more difficult for a tree to seal and leave the tree open to disease, insects, and rot. This type of training gives the tree a strong trunk and laterally branching stems that start about 30 inches (76 cm.) The art to fruit tree pruning is not something that can be taught in a short article or video, but basic pruning technique is quite easy to understand, and once grasped, almost anyone can maintain a fruit tree, and do so successfully, year after year.… ), select the central leader and remove all other branches 4 inches (10 cm.) This training for young trees can take many forms, but the most common is central leader training. Most fruit trees are best pruned during winter. Stone fruit trees, which refers to the pit or stone inside the fruit, are cherry trees, peach trees, plum trees, and apricot trees. Pruning during dormancy is recommended so that the tree's sap loss is minimized. Initial fruit tree pruning is important to help young trees produce thick stems and open canopies where light and air can enter and promote flowering, as well as reduce fungal and bacterial diseases. In this case, 83% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. There are some physical signs that your young fruit tree is ready for pruning. Some other benefits to pruning early in a fruit tree’s life also promotes a healthy root system and balanced branching as the tree grows. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Pruning during winter months while the tree is dormant reduces the chance of damage to the tree and allows for maximum production the following spring/summer. If you're not sure whether your tree needs summer pruning, consult a botanist. When you're ready to prune, remove dead, damaged, and diseased branches, as well as any branches that are sprouting from the trunk. It is vital to use sharp, clean tools when pruning. Botanists are specially trained experts who know a lot about plants. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! It spans a number of horticultural techniques. Depending on the tree, this could be anywhere between 5centimetres to 1.2 metres back from the tip of each branch. Prune for the characteristics you want, don't be afraid to cut! Summer pruning removes leaves (food manufacturer), slows fruit ripening, and exposes fruit to sunburn. I have an orange tree with a lot of dead branches. Should I remove shoots growing from the trunk of a small Clementine tree? Prune Fruit Trees When Dormant The best time for pruning fruit bushes and trees is when the bush is dormant and its leaves have fallen off. You might trim it once each winter, or not at all. Wipe down with rubbing alcohol, or a 5/1 solution of water and bleach before and after use. All you have to do is cut off 20 to 30 percent of last year's growth. Some trees, like orange trees, can be trimmed and pruned in early spring instead of winter. For more tips from our Horticulture co-author, like how to choose tools to prune fruit trees with, read on! Also, be careful what time of year you trim the tree. Don't prune too much during the summer or you could slow down the fruit’s ripening process and expose the fruit to sunburn. Pruning a young fruit tree Continued winter pruning in the early years encourages small buds to form near the base of stems that will develop into fruiting spurs. Fruit tree pruning can generally be carried out in winter, spring or summer, depending on what your end goal is. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Wait until your tree is dormant to prune it. Additionally, dormant pruning is used on mature trees to keep the lateral branches in the proper shape by cutting them back to at least two-year-old wood that is at close to the same diameter using angle cuts that force water away from the cut end. The final stage of pruning involves cutting away the previous year's growth … Should I prune them, or cut them off? This keeps them from snapping under the weight of the fruit, but pomologists (fruit scientists) will tell you that it also causes the tree’s hormones to activate growth lower in the canopy, making for smaller, more fruitful trees. Look for healthy growth characterized by a strong framework of permanent branches. Neglected fruit trees may require drastic rejuvenation pruning, which reinvigorates the scaffold but will minimize fruit load for several years. Learn the proper way to prune fruit trees for best fruit production.From the Southwest Yard & Garden series. Pruning fruit trees in containers is generally a breeze when compared with pruning fruit trees in the orchard. You can’t expect much fruiting the first two to three years as the plant develops low branches for better fruiting. Once the tree is mature, if proper training took place, pruning is nearly unnecessary except to reduce downward weak branches, waterspouts and remove dead wood. Credit: Tim Gainey / Alamy Stock Photo Fruit trees: increase fruit production; develop strong 45-degree angles to support the fruit load; remove limbs that grow down or straight up; maintain tree size (5 to 10 feet is ideal size for a home orchard in terms of accessibility) maintain fruit spurs. And it's worth every minute! You will need to remove half of the previous year's growth. You should take away 1/3 of your tree through pruning every year. ", http://cesonoma.ucanr.edu/files/27164.pdf, http://homeorchard.ucdavis.edu/pruningfruit.pdf, http://acmg.ucanr.edu/Growing_Your_Own_Food/Pruning_Fruit_Trees/, http://groworganic.com/organic-gardening/videos/how-to-prune-fruit-trees, http://modernfarmer.com/2015/02/right-cut/, http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/903, https://www.starkbros.com/growing-guide/article/successful-tree-pruning, https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/training-and-pruning-fruit-trees-in-north-carolina#types, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. By using our site, you agree to our. Apple, pear, cherry, and plum trees have slower growth rates and only need about a fifth of the previous year's growth pruned away. Plum and other stone fruit trees are generally pruned in the summer. For more tips from our Horticulture co-author, like how to choose tools to prune fruit trees with, read on! If you trim the top of the tree this may affect the shape, making it more short, flat and rounded. You should also prune off downward-growing branches and branches that aren't growing at about a 45-degree angle. If you're wondering when to prune your fruit trees, … To prune a fruit tree, wait until the winter when the tree is dormant, which will encourage more growth the following season. Prune trees regularly throughout their life to keep them healthy, safe, and aesthetically pleasing. Anything growing at a much smaller or larger angle should be pruned. Even when the tree is budding is almost too late. This allows maximum light and air and creates strong branches that aren’t prone to splitting and can handle a load of heavy fruit. It makes it easier to see where you are cutting. Cleaning the blades is equally important. This causes the new tree to grow low branches and balances growth and the root system to keep the plant from getting top heavy during establishment. This makes it easier to target the areas you want to prune and promotes the best production possible. This article has been viewed 59,746 times. If you are wondering how to prune a potted fruit tree, you’ll be happy to hear that it’s not difficult. How and when to prune your fruit trees can be a big question. The best time to prune is after the last cold snap of the winter season. The Pruning Process We also have to understand that it’s a proven fact that the ‘pruning process’ dwarfs trees, … By pruning your fruit trees, you stimulate shoot growth, control the size and shape of the tree, and improve the quality of the fruit. It is best to prune fruit trees in early spring just before the buds start to grow and while the tree is still in winter dormancy. The goal is to increase scaffold strength, promote fruiting branches and minimize rubbing and crossing. Last Updated: August 11, 2020 It refers instead to the practice of trimming the tree to a lesser extent than you would a normal, mature tree. When to Prune after Year 1 When to prune fruit trees? In this How to Prune Fruit Trees to Keep Them Small tutorial, we will learn specifically about fruit trees. This article has been viewed 59,746 times. Yes, those shoots will just compete with the main trunk (which you don't want). I got a lot of useful information about pruning.". How to Prune Fruit Trees. In the winter, your fruit tree is dormant (and therefore not producing any leaves or fruit). It is not difficult, and you'll get a real feel for how to prune fruit trees the more you work at it. Pruning fruit trees is an important management tactic that producers and homeowners need to implement every year. Initial fruit tree pruning is important to help young trees produce thick stems and open canopies where light and air can enter and promote flowering, as well as reduce fungal and bacterial diseases. If they bend, they're alive; leave them alone and don't prune them. If they are dead, they'll break; you can prune them. We prune our trees between February 1st-April 1st. Thereafter, when the tree has reached approx 7' 6", a further cleaning up of the stem to 5' 6" can take place. When to Prune. You can prune off as many dead branches as you like. Perform thinning cuts on branches that are at least 50% smaller than the diameter of their parent branch. Should I cut away other branches to allow more sunlight to reach the fruit? Always get rid of diseased, damaged, or dead branches. It may also mean removal of young shoots, buds, and leaves. from the ground and remove any side shoots. This article was co-authored by Maggie Moran. One of the main reasons arborist prune fruit trees is to promote growth by removing things like dormant buds, dead branches and bark as well as disease. If you don’t have pruning tools of your own, you might be able to rent some from your local hardware store – a good option for a tool you might use for only a few hours each year. The best time for pruning fruit trees is at planting and in subsequent years, in early spring before buds break and trees are still dormant . References Fruit trees are susceptible to a range of diseases that can be spread from tree-to-tree and also by airborne spores that can enter through damaged or torn bark and wood. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/c\/cb\/Prune-a-Fruit-Tree-Step-1-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Prune-a-Fruit-Tree-Step-1-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/cb\/Prune-a-Fruit-Tree-Step-1-Version-4.jpg\/aid1381934-v4-728px-Prune-a-Fruit-Tree-Step-1-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"