The Best Time to Prune Fruit Trees

Never prune in spring, since this can damage fruit and flower-bearing branches.

Fruit trees require annual pruning to stay healthy and produce a good crop. Pruning can be tricky for inexperienced growers, however. Using the right techniques at the right time can help you prune your fruit trees safely and successfully.

Dormant Pruning

According to Kentucky State University, pruning should be done during the cold season, ideally in late winter or early spring, right before active growth starts. Winter pruning allows wounds to heal quickly when new growth starts and makes it easy to see which branches need removal.

Summer Pruning

Gardeners may also prune trees in the warm season, especially in climates where fruit trees have a short dormant season. Advantages of summer pruning include the ability to train supple branches instead of cutting them off and spreading the pruning process over several months. Trees pruned in summer may be more prone to infection than winter-pruned trees.

Considerations

When gardeners prune heavily during the dormant season, trees may not produce much fruit the next year. However, minor dormant pruning does not strongly affect growth. According to North Carolina State University, summer pruning always eliminates an energy-producing part of the tree, slowing growth.

References

• North Carolina State University: Training and Pruning Fruit Trees
• Kentucky State University: Pruning Fruit Trees
• University of California Davis: Training and Pruning Fruit Trees