How to Properly Trim Fruit Trees

Properly trimming fruit trees is necessary in order to produce flowers on the trees, assist in providing fruit, and encourage new growth. This is especially important in younger trees. Trimming gets rid of old growth to make way for sunshine to get to new growth and mature different parts of the fruit tree. There are a couple basic trimming methods that are important to know and understand before trimming your fruit trees. Whether they are apple, citrus, or cherry (to name a couple), it is the same process to help provide more harvest for next season.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Protective eyewear, if desired
• Gloves
• Pruning shears
• Tall ladder
• Fruit trees
• Lopper

1. Prune fruit trees before new growth starts, which is most often during the months of mid-February to early June. First, take a look at the ground around the fruit trees. Look around the base of the tree for any growing branches within four feet. They may be coming out of the ground near the base, or from the bottom sides of the fruit tree. These are called "suckers." Cut these using the pruning shears. These suckers grow from the rootstock of the apple tree. Use gloves to protect your hands from the cold and sharp branches.

2. Look next at the lower trunk area of the fruit tree. Make sure the lower trunk appears healthy and is without animal damage or bug infestation. Also, look for overloaded sap production, dead spots, wounds and holes (all of which could represent termites, tree disease or death). Some of these problems can be fixed with natural remedies or pesticides, but more serious problems call for the fruit tree to be cut down and extracted from the ground.

3. Put on gloves. Use a lopper to get rid of the thickest branches, and pruning shears for the thinner branches and twigs. Trim back branches to the base that are growing in a downward manner past the lowest normal branches of the fruit trees. If there are very low branches that weren't apparent last year on the fruit tree, trim these as well, because they can be considered "suckers."

4. Climb up a ladder in order to get eye-level with the middle section of the fruit tree, if necessary. This will only be needed for very mature fruit trees because they are larger. Use the pruning shears to trim away excess branches to let sun reach the flowers, and future fruits. If there is a large cluster of branches in one area, these fruit tree branches are competing for space, air and sunshine. Trim away the weaker-looking branches within the cluster to create some extra space.

5. Trim away any branches that are growing upward and may collide with stronger branches. These are attempting to reach the perimeter of the tree for exposure to the sun, but growing in such an awkward direction that they will not live anyway.

6. Cut away any damaged branches. This includes bent or broken branches, whorls, and scar tissue growth that has overtaken branches. It is also beneficial to trim certain tree attributes such as criss-crossing branches, stubs, and narrow crotches (where the branches make a "wishbone" effect).

7. Examine the fruit tree once you've trimmed all of the necessary branches. Fruit trees should typically have a circle, oval or scaffold shape. Remember, while producing fruit, make sure to regularly thin out the fruit supply so the healthy branches do not become too top-heavy and bend or break.

Tips & Warnings

• The most pruning needs to be done within the first two to three years of an fruit tree's growth.
• Always be cautious using sharp shears or being high up on ladders.