The best time to prune a fruit tree is every spring while your tree is still
dormant. This allows you to see the branches without leaves in the way, it also allows the tree to start healing as soon as it comes out
of dormancy.
The very best time to prune your fruit trees is when your crocus are in full bloom. The problem with waiting until your crocuses bloom is that this is also the very best time to spray those same fruit trees with dormant oil,
aerate your lawn, cultivate your planting beds, till your garden, plant
cold weather crops, apply pre-emergent to your lawn and perennial beds,
do your first lawn fertilization, clean out leaves and dead
perennial stalks so your bulbs can push through, clean out last years
growth from your ornamental grasses, prune your roses, prune
raspberries, turn on your sprinklers, fix your sprinklers, enjoy the
nice spring weather before it gets too hot, and so on. Are you tired yet?
That is the long answer to a very simple question, the short answer to this question is to prune your fruit trees first, before you get caught up in all of the many gardening chores to do in the spring. It is common for gardeners to put off fruit tree pruning until it's too late. What ends up happening though, is that your tree is forced to wait another year making the job even harder next spring. I prune my trees
in January and February because fruit tree pruning is the only task that can be done during those months.
Pruning your fruit trees early may slow the healing
process slightly but won't effect the tree's overall health. It's nice to know that with all you have to do this spring, one of the most
important jobs are done. If you still have questions our would like to have us prune your fruit trees, give us a call at (801) 987-0183.
How do I Prune an Apple Tree?Apple trees are one of the easiest and most forgiving fruit trees to prune. I recommend following the pruning steps on our education page found here. One thing to remember is that apple trees are notorious for having a large amount of water sprouts each spring. The quantity of water sprouts makes your tree look like a lot bigger project than it really is. Just take your hand pruning shears to the water sprouts and half of the battle is done. Apple trees also have very distinct spurs. These spurs take years to develop and this is where the majority of blooms, and fruit will form. Make sure your are extremely careful not to remove or damage the spurs on your apple trees. If you still have questions or would like to set up an on-site fruit tree pruning workshop, give us a call at (801) 987-0183.
How do I Prune a Peach Tree?Peach trees naturally produce a lot of fruit and that is one of their weaknesses. Follow the pruning steps found on our education page here, and make sure you are aggressive enough in your pruning so you are only left with strong lateral branches. It is also important to thin the fruit later in the spring to avoid too much weight on each lateral branch. If you still have questions or would like to set up an on-site fruit tree pruning workshop, give us a call at (801) 987-0183.How do I Prune a Pear Tree?Pear trees naturally like to grow in a vertical direction. For that reason many suggest keeping the central leader intact as opposed to the open center form of pruning. Although it takes more work and effort, I still prefer the open center form for pear trees. Start by following the pruning steps on our education page found here and make sure you choose main branches that are growing out from the center. If they are not growing out from the center make sure you prune each branch so that the last bud is facing away from the center of the tree. It may help to do a second summer pruning to remove the vertical growth and speed up the outward growth. If you still have questions or would like to set up an on-site fruit tree pruning workshop, give us a call at (801) 987-0183.How do I Prune a Plum Tree?Plums are very simple to prune and typically need very little maintenance. Just follow the pruning steps found on our education page by clicking here. If you still have questions or would like to set up an on-site fruit tree pruning workshop, give us a call at (801) 987-0183. How do I Prune an Apricot Tree?Apricot trees are one of the earliest trees to bloom and with unpredictable Utah weather, we often loose our apricot crops to frost. Pruning will not prevent frost or guarantee fruit, but remember, even if you don't get an apricot crop this year, it's still important to prune your tree, knowing that when conditions are favorable, your tree will be very productive. For steps on how to prune your apricot tree visit our education page by clicking here. If you still have questions or would like to set up an on-site fruit tree pruning workshop, give us a call at (801) 987-0183.How do I Prune a Cherry Tree?
Cherry trees are different than many fruit trees because they are slow to heal. It's important to start your pruning while the tree is still young to avoid making large cuts that could take several years to heal. Follow the fruit tree pruning steps found on our education page here. If you still have questions or would like to set up an on-site fruit tree pruning workshop, give us a call at (801) 987-0183. |
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