How to Prune Your Fruit Trees

When pruning, make clean cuts just above a bud or lateral branch, angling away from the bud to encourage outward growth. Proper winter pruning sets the foundation for the tree’s future growth and fruit production. If you prefer a more hands-off approach, hire a tree service provider to help. The last thing you want is to cause severe damage with DIY techniques, resulting in death and costly tree removal emergencies.

Summer Pruning

Summer pruning is a crucial technique to control the size of your fruit tree and manage fruit production. This practice is performed after the tree has finished flowering and the fruits develop. Summer pruning involves the selective removal of excess branches and foliage to thin out the canopy. This helps increase air circulation, reduce the risk of disease, and improves the quality of the remaining fruit.

During summer pruning, our arborists focus on removing crowded or overlapping branches, as well as any small or malformed fruits. It is vital to only remove one-third of the tree’s total foliage during a single summer pruning session. Regular summer pruning can also help prevent the overproduction of small, low-quality fruits. If you notice flowers sprouting, consult a professional tree care company for help.

Renewal Pruning

Renewal pruning is essential for older fruit trees that may have become less productive or developed a dense, tangled canopy. This technique involves aggressive pruning to rejuvenate the tree and encourage new growth. Our tree service experts remove a few of the oldest and least productive branches, known as “crown thinning.” This stimulates fresh growth from the remaining branches and improves light penetration. Over a few years, you can gradually replace the older branches with younger, more vigorous shoots. While renewal pruning can breathe new life into older trees and extend their productive years, improper execution can cause severe damage and premature tree removal projects.