It all seems so easy until you are at the tree! Discussion may lead to everyone having an opinion… or no-one knows where to start. Perhaps it gets put off for another year to preserve the peace at home. So, where should you start when pruning established fruit trees?
When the framework branches have been established (about 4 years) you can prune for the production of healthy fruit.
The first thing is to remove anything that is:
- Dead
- Damaged
- Diseased
- branches crossing through the centre of the tree
- branches rubbing against one another
- branches growing vertically
General Pruning Tips:
- Keep tools clean and sharp.
- Prune to an outward facing bud to avoid congested growth in the centre of the tree, open up that canopy for good light penetration and airflow!
- Use loppers or a pruning saw on large branches
- Put the sharp edge of the blade next to the bud (spur or sprig) – close, but not too close.
- Angle the cut away from the bud.
- Avoid pruning in wet conditions… a) you’ll get wet; b) you increase the risk of infection at the new wound.
What is the difference between a spur and a sprig?
Fruit trees have either sprigs OR spurs; Both carry the fruiting buds and form off lateral branches. Each lateral branch may have several spurs or sprigs.
A spur is thicker and longer. The fruiting buds that form along it will typically be larger and further apart.
Sprigs are thinner than spurs and clustered together. The fruiting buds along it tend to be smaller and closer together. Because sprigs are finer than spurs, keeping them shorter and close to the main limbs will help prevent them drooping and breaking.
Apples and Pears
Carry fruit on spurs.
- Prune them to the 2nd bud and in the following year to the fist bud
- Each fruiting spur should be about 120mm apart for the best fruit size
- Spurs can be removed after 6 seasons
- Damaged or worn out spurs, once removed, will be replaced by new shoots close by
Peaches and Nectarines
Carry fruit on sprigs
- Produce fruit on previous seasons growth which only fruit once
- Remove all sprigs which have given fruit
- If overcrowded, thin sprigs by removing some – this will improve not reduce your yield!
Apricots
Carry fruit on sprigs
- Sprigs bear fruit for 2-3 years
- Remove old and weak sprigs to encourage new ones
- Apricots are one of the exceptions: Unlike most of your fruit trees that get a winter trim while dormant, prune apricots after harvest (late summer) to avoid gummosis
Plums
Carry fruit on spurs
- Prune anything out of reach and crossing branches
- Not overly fussy, have a go at it
Cherries
Carry fruit on spurs
- Fruits on previous seasons spurs
- Remove damaged, dead and diseased material
- Cut framework branches back by one third to produce fruiting buds for next year
- Another exception to winter pruning – prune cherries after fruiting to avoid cutting away fruiting spurs for next season