Let's Get Ready to Prune Fruit Trees!

Q. Can I prune fruit trees now or do I need to wait until they are dormant in January?  Will you be giving fruit tree pruning classes again this year?

 

A. Prune fruit trees lightly with a hand pruner any time there is a problem at any time during the year. Heavy pruning that requires a saw or loppers should be done during winter months after leaves have dropped.

Hand pruner or hand shears for making cuts less than 1 inch in diameter

            Removal of limbs with loppers or a saw is easier after leaf drop when you can see the arrangement of limbs and branches and where to cut. Avoid using loppers or a saw during summer months because of sunburn and damage to the trees by our intense sunlight.

Loppers used for large cuts greater than 1 inch. The maximum size for a lopper depends on the lopper and how well it's maintained and the person doing the pruning. Some people are not physically capable of making some larger cuts. Once cleaned and sanitized, they should never be placed on the ground because of sanitation.

            The majority of pruning cuts for fruit trees will remove entire limbs and not leaving “stubs” where branches are cut off. Many of the desirable pruning cuts remove vertical growth, upward or downward, which produce little to no fruit and interfere with light entering the canopy.

One of my favorite tools for cutting large limbs is a Sawzall with the appropriate pruning blade.

            I will offer pruning classes of fruit trees on Saturdays beginning in mid-December. Watch the newspaper or my blog for exact dates and locations.