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Larry Sagers Horticultural Specialist Utah State University Extension Service Thanksgiving Point Office © All Rights Reserved
First a few tips on training. Don’t climb in the trees, don’t get on ladders that are too tall and be very careful when using chain saws or other power equipment. Just like the athletes keep their equipment in top form, clean and sharpen your pruners and saws. If you have poor quality equipment replace it with quality tools and then take care of them. Carpenter saws, axes or hatchets, machetes and dull pruners will disqualify you as a world class pruner.
Before going into the orchard, plan a little strategy. This is not you against the trees. Pruning is to help the trees stay healthy and to produce good fruit.
Pruning is an art based on scientific principles. It is impossible to prune correctly without knowing how your plants are going to respond. “Experts” who expound pruning rules such as “cut everything back by one third” simply do not understand plant growth and development.
Before attacking the plants in your garden, realize plants have different growth habits and responses. Fruit trees require much different training than landscape trees. Don't train all your trees the same because they have very different purposes in your garden.
Fruit trees are pruned to fit a certain size and shape and to increase production. The height to prune is best determined by the height of your picking ladder. It makes little sense to grow fruit trees that are so large the fruit cannot be harvested. Prune the trees to allow easy picking, spraying and other fruit-growing operations.
Prune your fruit trees the day you put them in the ground and at least once a year thereafter. The main branches of all fruit trees should start 18 to 30 inches above the ground. The branches should come out at an angle of 60-90 degrees.
My coaching tip here is to start the trees right so they will produce good crops for many years. Poorly trained trees are good only for firewood. The first three years of training are most important in developing a strong, productive tree. IF THE BRANCHES ON THE TREE ARE NOT COMING OUT IN THE RIGHT PLACES, PRUNE THE TREE BACK TO STIMULATE NEW GROWTH.
New trees are pruned to force the growth in the right places. In some cases, most of the wood is pruned off to start the tree on the right training program. Limb spreaders are used to establish a strong framework of scaffolds and encourage earlier production. They are useful in training varieties like Red Delicious that have a tendency to form branches with narrow angles, growing more upright than spreading.
Steel wire or wooden strips with finishing nails in each end are inserted between the selected scaffold limb and the main trunk of the tree to spread the limb to form a crotch angle of about 65 degrees. Do this early while the limb is still pliable enough to be trained. Trees need strength for a good performance. Prune to establish a tree with a strong framework capable of supporting heavy crops of fruit without breaking the trees. Nothing is quite as disappointing as a bumper crop of fruit that breaks the tree down as it is ripening.
Fruit trees are also pruned to increase production. Pruning forces the growth of new wood to produce the fruit. Fruit trees vary in the amount of new growth and where the fruit is produced. Understanding where the fruit is produced will enable you to prune your trees successfully.
Peaches are best pruned to an open center or vase-shaped tree. This exposes the maximum amount of light to the tree and wood. Heavy pruning also keeps the trees from getting too tall or spreading too much.
PRUNING DEMOS 2005
Utah State University Extension offers fruit tree pruning classes in several counties. Dress appropriately for the weather and bring your own tools and work gloves. Pre-paid registration requested. Class size may be limited.
Name Address Phone Kind of Trees Teacher Date
Kevin Card 10894 N 5750 W, Highland 756-5711 All kinds - berries & vegetables Mike Caron March 12, 2:00 - 4:00
Steve Tenny 10983 N 5870 W, Highland 756-7944 3 peach ( 6 yrs.), 2 cherry (6 yrs.), 1 pear ( 6 yrs.), 2 apple and plum Mike Caron March 15, 2:00 - 4:00
David Staples 1456 N 1000 E, American Fork 756-7796 All semi-dwarf - 2 plum, 4 apple, 4 peaches, 2 pear, 1 apricot Tom Hill Feb. 28, 2:00 - 4;00
Maxine Barfoot 993 E 300 S, Provo 375-5807 1 apricot, 2 apple, 1 plum, 1 peach, 1 nectarine, 1 cherry Tom Hill Feb. 8, 2:00 -4:00
Julia Tuck 917 E 2730 N, Provo 377-8084 6 apple, peach, apricot, grapes Brent Gledhill March 8 12:00 - 2:00
Coleen Smith 1970 N 320 W, Orem 221-8225 All fruit trees, all young Adrian Hinton Feb. 28, 2:00-4:00
Col. Mike Davis 307 W 700 S, Springville 489-9110 523-4471 apricot, apple, plum, walnut, shrubs Adrian Hinton March 11, 2:00 - 4:00
Tammy Heaton 305 E 1230 N, Springville 489-7729 2 plum, 1 nectarine, 2 peach, 1 apricot, 3 apple, 1 pear, grapes Milo Barney Feb. 10, 2:00 - 4:00
Ann Bradshaw 668 E 700 S, Spanish Fork 798-8626 1 plum, 1 apricot, 2 kinds apple, 1 peach, grapes. All trees are 8 years old. Milo Barney Feb. 28, 2:00 - 4:00
Steve Johnson 470 So. Towers Drive, Salem 423-4120 2 plum, 1 nectarine, 1 pear, 1 cherry, 4 peach, 1 apple, grapes, raspberries & blackberries Milo Barney March 7, 2:30 - 4:30
Thanksgiving Point 3003 North Thanksgiving Point Way, Lehi 768-7443 Adrian Hinton March 7, 12:30 - 2:30 Pruning class $15:00.
Fruit Tree Pruning Demonstrations and Workshops
Box Elder County (register at the Box Elder County USU Extension office, 435-734-9945) Feb 26, 1-4PM in Brigham City. $20. March 5, 10AM - 1PM in Tremonton. $20.
Salt Lake County (register at the Salt Lake County USU Extension office, 801-468-3179): Feb 26, 10:30AM - 1PM at This is the Place State Park. $10. March 3, 1-4PM in Murray. (exact address given at registration). $10 March 18, 2-5PM at Sunrider Orchard in Draper (exact address given at registration). $10.
Thanksgiving Gardens (register at Thanksgiving Gardens, 801-768-7443) March 7, 12:30 - 2:30PM at Thanksgiving Gardens. $15.
Weber County (register at the Weber County USU Extension office, 801-399-8201) March 19, 9-11AM at Mark Standing's Orchard, 6636 S 2200 E, Ogden.
Tooele County call 435- 843-2350 Davis County call the Utah Botanical Center office at 801-593-8969
