Fruit Tree Pruning Guide
PRUNING
Download our Fruit Tree Pruning Instruction Guide Here.
Fruit Tree Pruning
Pruning is a very important part of proper fruit tree care, but many people find the task overwhelming. It doesn’t have to be! Keep these things in mind:
- You can have confidence in knowing that not everyone will prune the exact same way (including the “experts”).
- It is definitely best for your tree to do some pruning versus no pruning.
- There are three main reasons you should prune your tree: its survival, stimulation and shaping.
- If a fruit tree is left un-pruned, it will not grow well— and in some cases, may not grow at all.
Plan to prune and fertilize your fruit trees during every dormant season/ late winter.
10 o’clock pruning angle. Narrow, V-shape crotches are an open invitation to disastrous splitting later on, particularly when your tree is ripening with a large bumper crop. For your branches: choose wide 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock angles.
Fruit Thinning. The best time to thin apple trees is within 20 to 40 days of full bloom. Space each apple 6 to 8 inches apart on the branch. In clusters, leave the king bloom (the center bloom in the cluster of five flowers) as it will develop into the largest fruit.
