When To Prune Fruit Trees

Fruit trees are usually pruned in late winter (February – early March) to adjust the tree’s structure. Summer pruning can also be done, but this is typically used to control or slow down growth. Removing dead, diseased, or dying branches can be done at any time of the year.

What month is the best time to prune fruit trees?

Winter, including late winter/early spring, is the ideal time to prune your fruit trees.

What time of year do you cut fruit trees?

When to prune Free-standing fruit trees or bush trees, such as those grown in an orchard should be pruned when they’re dormant, in winter. Trained trees, such as espaliers, cordons, pyramids and fans should be pruned in late August or early September.

What month is the best month to prune apple trees?

Apples, pears and quinces (pome fruits) Standard apple trees – those with a central trunk – should be pruned when the tree is dormant in winter. Ideally between November and early March. Trained apple trees, like espaliers and fans, should be pruned in summer.

Do fruit trees need to be pruned every year?

As a fruit tree matures and begins to bear fruit, it still should be cut back each year. Shoots growing upright can shade the center of the tree, which reduces fruiting. Those shoots can be removed either in summer when they are 4 to 6 inches long or in winter, when the tree is dormant, and they are longer.

When should peach trees be pruned?

1 Ideally, you should prune peach trees annually in spring, just as the buds swell and begin to turn pink. It’s better to prune a little too late than too early. However, you can remove shoots developing in the center of the tree at any time since these will block sun and air from getting to the fruits.

Can you cut the top off an apple tree?

Prune off the top of the newly planted fruit tree in late April. Cut it at between 20 and 30 inches above the ground. Trim back all other shoots and branches to 6 inches.

What month is late winter?

When is Late Winter? Late winter is 4 to 6 weeks before spring thaw begins. This could be any time in January to May, depending on your climate. Use your average last frost date and count back.

How much can you cut back an apple tree?

You should not remove more than 25% of the tree per year or it will try to repair the damage by producing too much new growth. All the cuts you will be making at this stage will be thinning cuts. First remove any dead wood, it will be obvious from its appearance and lack of buds or new growth.

Can I prune an apple tree in April?

Although apple tree trimming may be accomplished any time of the year, late winter to very early spring is most advisable (March and April), after the worst of the cold snaps to minimize possible injury due to frost. It is also a good time to prune diseased or damaged areas of the apple tree as they become visible.

How do you prune a peach tree in the summer?

Summer pruning after mid-July will not improve flower bud initiation or development. For mature trees, remove the vigorous upright water sprouts that shade the lower canopy. If this is done early, before the base of the shoot lignifies, the shoots can be ripped out by hand with little damage to the bark.

What is best fertilizer for fruit trees?

Fruit trees prefer an organic, high nitrogen fertilizer. Blood meal, soybean meal, composted chicken manure, cottonseed meal, and feather meal are all good, organic nitrogen sources.

How far back can you prune fruit trees?

All you have to do is cut off 20 to 30 percent of last year’s growth. Depending on the tree, this could be anywhere between 5centimetres to 1.2 metres back from the tip of each branch.

Can you top fruit trees?

Topping a vertical branch encourages vegetative growth necessary for development of the tree and creates a bushing effect. Topping horizontal branches is done to renew fruiting wood and to thin off excessive fruit. Thinning vertical branches opens the tree to more light. Thinning horizontal branches removes fruit.

How do you trim a fruit tree?

Fruit typically buds in the center third of branches, so you will want to thin the top of the tree to allow more light into the center. To prevent breakage from the heavy fruits, prune the outer third of the tree and previous year’s growth or remove 2 out of every 3 branches.

How far can you cut back peach tree?

The goal when pruning peach trees is to remove old, slow growing, non-fruitful shoots and leave 1-year-old, 18 to 24 inch (45-60 cm.) red bearing shoots. About 40% of the tree should be pruned out annually.

How do I keep my peach tree small?

A semi-dwarf fruit tree will get close to 15-20 feet tall while a standard size fruit tree may get over 30 feet high. Do not think of a semi-dwarf Peach, Apricot, Cherry, Nectarine, ect. in terms of size management. The only way to keep them small is by pruning.

Should you prune apple trees in summer?

Summer pruning apples and pears allows sunlight to ripen the fruit and ensures good cropping the following year. This is the main method of pruning for restricted forms such as cordons, espaliers, fans and pyramids.

How do you prune a fruit tree that is too tall?

Remove any branches growing beyond the height that you can reach to pick fruit. The tree will produce new vigorous shoots, especially near the top of the tree. The best time to remove these shoots is during summer pruning. Prune the tree to the same height annually.

How do you reduce the height of fruit trees?

To reduce height, remove tall, upright branches entirely, or cut them back to well-placed strong lateral branches that extend horizontally below the height of 18 feet. A chain saw again is handy because these cuts generally involve removing limbs 6 inches or more in diameter.