Pruning Fruit Trees

Without training and pruning, fruit trees will not develop proper shape and form. Properly trained and pruned trees will yield high quality fruit much earlier in their lives and live significantly longer.

A primary objective of training and pruning is to develop a strong tree framework that will support fruit production. Improperly trained fruit trees generally have very upright branch angles, which result in serious limb breakage under a heavy fruit load. This significantly reduces the productivity of the tree and may greatly reduce tree life.

Another goal of annual training and pruning is to remove dead, diseased, or broken limbs. Proper tree training also opens up the tree canopy to maximize light penetration.

For most deciduous tree fruit, flower buds for the current season's crop are formed the previous summer. Light penetration is essential for flower bud development and optimal fruit set, flavour, and quality.

Although a mature tree may be growing in full sun, a very dense canopy may not allow enough light to reach 12 to 18 inches inside the canopy. Opening the tree canopy also permits adequate air movement through the tree, which promotes rapid drying to minimize disease infection.

Additionally, a well-shaped fruit tree is aesthetically pleasing, whether in a garden or commercial orchard. 

Proper selective pruning can rejuvenate an old tree

Pruning is most often done during the winter, commonly referred to as dormant pruning. Training includes summer training and summer pruning as well as dormant pruning. The goal of tree training is to direct tree growth and minimize cutting.

Trees respond very differently to dormant and summer pruning. Dormant pruning in winter is an invigorating process. In the spring, the tree responds by producing many new vigorous, upright shoots, called water sprouts, which shade the tree and inhibit proper development. Heavy dormant pruning also promotes excessive vegetative vigour, which uses much of the tree's energy, leaving little for fruit growth and development.

Historically, much of the vigorous, upright vegetative growth has been removed during the dormant season; heavy dormant pruning results in a yearly cycle with excessive vegetative growth and little or no fruit production.

Timing of dormant pruning is critical. Pruning should be considered with due respect for the type of fruit tree, its health and its age, among other factors.

Summer pruning can begin as soon as the buds start to grow, but it is generally started after vegetative growth is several inches long. To minimize the potential for winter injury, summer pruning should not be done after the end of July.

Pruning is a complex subject and cuts must be made in the correct manner to prevent damage to the tree. Expertise is required to make the right decisions and undertake the work in the proper manner. Badly pruned fruit trees are commonplace and provide little fruit whilst looking unsightly (and possibly dangerous). 

Selective crown pruning to reduce the size of an old tree, to allow more light into the centre and improve fruit yield.

Root pruning - Pruning tree roots is drastic, but can restrain growth or bring young trees into flower when other, less severe, measures such as summer pruning and spring bark girdling are ineffective. Pruning tree roots reduces vigour and promotes the formation of flowers instead of shoots. Mature trees should not be root pruned as they have less resilience than young trees. 

Many people will purchase a house where an apple tree was planted on the property several years ago. Often, the previous owners did not take the time to properly prune the tree. The tree has become bushy and weak and will produce very poor quality apples. Such a tree requires extensive corrective pruning.

The main objective in pruning such a tree is to try and open up the interior to allow good light penetration. The first step is to remove all the upright, vigorous growing shoots at their base that are shading the interior. As with the young apple trees, it is necessary to select 3 to 5 lower scaffold branches with good crotch angles and spaced around the tree. Limbs with poor angles, and excess scaffold limbs, should be removed at their base. In some cases it is advisable to spread the corrective pruning over two to three seasons. 

- If you need a chainsaw to cut branches – leave it to the professionals

- If you need to climb a ladder to prune – leave it to the professionals

- If you are unsure about what to prune and when – leave it to the professionals