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Recent snowstorms may have given you a good excuse not to prune your fruit trees. But soon you're soon going to run out of excuses.
As spring approaches, it's time to get back into the orchard, assess the winter's damage and get the things back in shape.
Whenever I teach pruning techniques, people want to know the hows but not the whys. Because the why determines the how, let's start there...
One of the whys has to do with developing a strong tree. A weak tree is going to break down when you finally get a good crop of fruit. If you don't prune for structural strength, you'll have a tree that constantly needs to be propped up.
Another why is to shape your trees. Pruning helps control tree size, which makes it easier to spray and harvest.
Fruit trees have to collect light throughout to produce good fruit, so pruning induces better branching, which leads to better production and better quality fruit.
Training also helps bring young trees into production earlier.
Now it's time to move into the orchard. Start by looking at each tree and then making a plan. Older trees are already committed to a training system. This is usually a vase shape or open center tree. Never try to change the system once it is set.
After determining what shape the tree has, begin by taking out the obvious defects. Cut out branches that did not winter well. That includes those that are broken, dead or diseased.
Next take out water sprouts and suckers. Water sprouts are strong vertical shoots that go straight in the air from the branches; suckers are those that grow from the base of the tree.
Cut them off now, but remember to remove them as they regrow this summer.
Branches that hang down are not going to produce quality fruit, so take those out next. After that, look for branches that are crossing over other branches. These rubbing branches open wounds in the bark, which can allow infection in your trees.
Take a hard look at the top of the tree. One of the most common pruning mistakes is to take too many branches out of the lower portion of the tree and leave too many branches in the top of the tree. When the upper branches get covered with leaves, they shade the developing fruit on lower branches, which greatly affects fruit production.
Thin out these branches by cutting them to the side branches. If you cut them off without directing their growth to a side branch, they'll resprout many new shoots, making the problem worse. Once again, if water sprouts come up, take them off as they start to grow in the summer.
Another helpful step in pruning is to look down. Keep track of the amount of branches you are cutting off. If the pile it is starting to get too large, stop pruning. A general guideline is that you should never take off more that one-third of the younger growth in any one year.
Written by: Larry A. Sagers Extension Horticulture Specialist Utah State University Thanksgiving Point Office
