Pruning is Key to Fruit Tree Vigor

Our unusually warm weather has caused fruit trees to emerge from their winter dormancy and begin to bloom. Even so, it's still not too late to prune fruit trees such as apple, peach, plum, and apricot. Anytime up to the point flower petals begin to fall, it's safe to prune. Watch out for those honey bees visiting the flowers.

Pruning deciduous fruit trees should be done annually to stimulate quality fruit production. Don't confuse deciduous fruit trees with citrus. Citrus trees do not need, and should not be pruned! That's because the more leaves there are on a citrus tree, the larger and more numerous the fruit will be.

Pruning of decidous fruits is a means to remove less productive branches, and with it, the needed thinning of fruit. It also is a way to stimulate the growth of new, vigorous branches that will bear fruit the following year.

All fruit trees should be pruned to remove dead, diseased or broken branches. Shoots which grow straight up into the tree, should also be removed. These are called water sprouts. They are fruitless, and will only rob fruit bearing branches of light and nourishment. Suckering shoots are also unwanted. They are stems that grow from the base of the trunk or from roots near the trunk. Clip them off while they are still small.

Fruit tree pruning falls into one of three categories. The first is called the "open center" system. This is used to prune peach, nectarine, and Japanese plum trees. Simply put, branching should be in the form of a wide bowl, radiating out from the trunk. The bowl is formed by 3 to 5 well spaced main, also referred to as "scaffold" branches. When purchasing a young peach tree, be sure to check for this basic open branching structure. Small, bare root trees, known as whips, can be purchased from mail order fruit tree nurseries. They are planted and cut back to single a stick, 30 to 36 inches tall. The new shoots that grow from below the cut can then be chosen to form future scaffold branches.

On larger peach , nectarine and Japanese plum, remove any branches that grow up through the center of the tree. Next remove any branches that compete for the same space. If two are growing parallel, one on top of the other, remove the weaker of the two. Remove any upward or inward growing branches. Upward growth will produce leaves, not fruit. Inward branches will clog the center and shade other fruiting branches. Cut off small twigs arising along the scaffold and secondary branches. Finally, thin side shoots that come from secondary branches. Removing every other one is a good general "rule-of-thumb" to follow. When you think you've pruned enough, take a break. Then come back and prune some more.

When the fruit has set, and is the diameter of a dime, thin the fruit. Pick to leave just one peach for every 6-8 inches of stem or branch. This will allow enough leaves around that fruit to manufacture the sugars necessary to develop the fruit to it's maximum size and quality.

Apples and pears are pruned using the "central leader" system. In this form, one main shoot is allowed to grow up in the center of the tree. Branches then arise from this "central leader" or trunk. The first tier or "whorl" of branches should be located 24 to 36 inches from the ground. Four to six branches should radiated out from the trunk in all directions to resemble the spokes of a wheel. The branches, however, should not all originate from the same point on the trunk, but rather be spaced a few inches apart on the trunk.

A single whorl of four to six branches is sufficient for dwarf trees. A second whorl of branches should be developed on semi-dwarf and standard apple and pear trees. This whorl of four to six branches should be positioned about 36 inches above the first whorl. Branches or shoots selected for each whorl should all be about the same size. If one is much larger it will command the bulk of growth resources, leaving the others stunted.

Apricot, cherry and European plum are pruned using the "modified central leader" system. This form is basically the same as the central leader system, except that the central leader is "tipped" or pruned back each year to a side shoot below it. This side shoot then becomes the dominant leader, but only for one year, as it too is cut back the following year. Annual pruning of the central or dominant leader prevents the tree from getting too tall. It also stimulates a fuller tree with more fruiting side branches.

Regardless of the basic system being used, all fruit trees will require the removal of dead wood, crossing or rubbing branches, inward growing branches, and competing branches. On apple trees, such as dorsett golden, care should be taken not to remove fruiting spurs. The spurs are short nubby stems. They arise from the branches, producing flower buds and fruit. They remain fruitful for many years.

Finally, remember to thin fruit shortly after it forms. If fruit set is numerous, knock off some of the fruit with a flail made form a piece of garden hose. The remaining fruit can then be thinned by hand to a spacing of 6 to 8 inches apart for apples, peaches, plum and pears. This will ensure that the remaining fruit be the largest and highest quality possible. Apricot, cherry and European plum are pruned using the "modified central leader" system