Tips for the best pruning practices for the garden

Q. What is the difference between winter pruning and summer pruning for fruit trees? Does it really make a difference in fruit production?

Winter pruning is done during the tree’s dormant period when all of the leaves have fallen and the branch structure is more visible. For most deciduous trees, this would take place in January or February. Winter pruning accomplishes two things. First, it is for shaping the overall structure of the tree. There should only be 3-5 main branches that are evenly balanced and give the tree an open structure that allows light to reach the inner portion of the canopy. This open structure not only encourages healthy growth, but also allows wind to pass through the canopy and makes the tree less susceptible to wind damage. Winter pruning also encourages growth in the spring.

Summer pruning has two purposes that are complementary to winter pruning. First, it limits the tree height. This is a good thing for fruit trees since it makes harvesting your crop much easier. Keeping a fruit tree to a manageable height of 10-12 feet means that you won’t need a tall ladder to pick. Summer pruning is also a time to control lateral growth, which will result in shorter, stronger branches and earlier bud formation.

Wait until the tree has stopped growing (no tender new growth at the branch ends). Usually, this occurs in late August or early September. Start by removing excess suckers at the base of the trunk. These suckers originate from the rootstock and will take energy from the rest of the tree. Just cut them off at the base. They will grow back every year, but that’s the nature of rootstocks.

Look at the main branches first. Are they starting to grow a little too close to each other? Sometimes the main branches want to go astray and need correcting. This can be accomplished by placing a branch spacer between the branches that are getting a little too friendly. If the angle between the branches becomes too narrow, it will weaken the tree’s structure and make it more likely to break.

Remove any overly vigorous upright-growing branches (water sprouts). These will not produce fruit and will interfere with the open structure that makes the tree happy.

Look at each lateral branch coming off a main branch. You should be able to see where it was pruned the previous year and, from there, how much new growth the tree has put on. Right above the pruning scar there will be a “collar” of leaves. Just past this collar, you can count the nodes (site of a leaf petiole). Count 3 or 4 nodes, then cut just past the third or fourth node. This will cause the side branches to grow shorter and stronger and will induce bud formation. Since fruit will be born on these shorter, stronger branches, the tree is less likely to suffer from branch damage. This should also make thinning your fruit in the spring much easier.

For more information, see this wonderfully informative video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ioGcl7gHgc&t=15s&ab_channel=UCSantaCruzCenterforAgroecology