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Learn The Correct Way To Prune Your Fruit Trees Pruning and Training the Home Orchard This is an excellent publication you can download http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/html/pnw/pnw400/ Pruning Definition The removal of selected plant parts to produce a desired growth response. Pruning increases the plant's usefulness by removing of unwanted limbs and wood. This skill comes from learning about the plants, practice and observing the results of pruning The primary purposes of pruning are to: Improve the tree strength so it will carry a load of fruit. Facilitate cultural and harvesting operations, Adjust or partially control size and shape of trees.
Unpruned fruit trees become tall, dense, and unmanageable. The interior of the tree becomes a tangled mass of branches with very little productive fruiting wood. An unpruned tree is difficult to spray and harvest. Pruning does not "ruin the tree". If an unwise cut is made, the tree will eventually replace the removed part. The greatest mistake is not to prune. There is no "right" or "wrong" pruning system. Using pruning and plant growth principles develop pruning systems to fit your trees. No two trees grow and develop exactly alike. This is frustrating when developing a desirable framework in young trees.
Pruning is dwarfing. Some growth is stimulated but total plant size is reduced. Annual pruning is important throughout the life of the tree. Know the ideal and modify it for the individual tree, but follow the selected system.
While the tree is young, annual pruning is needed to develop the desired tree structure. Excessive pruning of young trees makes them less efficient and delays the fruit bearing. Moderately prune young trees to develop a well-shaped, structurally strong tree As the tree grows older, annual pruning is necessary to keep the tree productive and to prevent it from becoming too large or dense. Unpruned trees bear inferior size, color and quality fruit.
Incorrectly shaped young trees and trees that have not been pruned for several years develop these conditions: They have too many branches. The trees are too tall Lateral branches are too long The tree not strong Sunlight does not penetrate the interior of the tree. The fruit is inferior and poorly colored.
