However, if you get pruning timing wrong, it can do more damage than good.
Our guide walks you through when to prune fruit trees and why to help you avoid cutting catastrophes.
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Winter Fruit Tree Pruning
Most fruit tree pruning is done during late winter or early spring dormancy.
This promotes vigorous new vegetative growth and a bigger, healthier harvest.
Where possible, avoidpruning treesin early winter.
Pruning reduces cold hardiness for a couple of weeks.
You dont want your fruit trees new growth to die off during a hard frost.
The fruit trees with small seeds tend to prefer winter pruning.
That includes established apple, pear, andquince trees.
This is especially true if you’re growing a particularly cold-sensitive cultivar.
The rationale is the same as that for winter fruit tree pruning.
If there is, prune strategically to leave more healthy emerging buds in place.
Some stone fruit species perform best with spring pruning, especially nectarine and peach trees.
The most effective dwarfing effect of pruning typically occurs in early summer (around June and early July).
Now is the time to trim back excess vegetative growth and prevent unwanted shoots from developing.
This ensures developing fruits have ample access to sugars to promote the most intense flavor.
Be careful not to lop too much off your fruit tree in summer.
Severe pruning can weaken the tree, making it more susceptible to diseases and poor, sunburned fruit yields.
This can affect the overall vigor of your tree, weakening it and making it more susceptible to diseases.
Pruning fruit trees in late spring, after bud break, can negatively affect your harvest.
The tree directs lots of energy to the new vegetative growth, and fruiting branches can suffer.
Pruning wounds are also more susceptible to warm-weather pathogens.
Never pruning your fruit tree can affect its long-term health and harvest yields.
Plus, an untidy tree doesnt look so attractive in your yard.
A review of pruning fruit trees.
