How to Prune Young Fruit Trees

Peach trees should be pruned to encourage an open center.

Maintaining fruit trees is a hobby that also adds healthy choices to your menu. One important aspect of upkeep on fruit trees is the pruning process. Pruning can keep a fruit tree from overgrowth and limit the amount of disease. Young fruit trees are primarily pruned to train their structure. Taking care of fruit trees in the first few years of life will lead to plentiful harvests in the future.

Things You'll Need

• Pruning shears
• Sealant

Instructions

1. Select four to six branches to become the scaffold, or permanent branches. Scaffold branches should be evenly spaced around the tree, with approximately four to 12 inches between them. Choose branches with a wide-angled crotch to better support fruit later on. An angle of at least 65 degrees is ideal.

2. Remove all other branches with pruning shears. Cut branches as close to the trunk or parent branch as possible. A cut made too far out on the branch will likely result in extended healing time and may cause rotting of the wood.

3. Seal all cuts larger than 1 1/2 inches in diameter to prevent disease and insect inhabitation. Use a household paint or asphalt water emulsion sealant.

4. Prune back all dead, diseased and broken branches during the dormant season. Once the scaffold branches are established, pruning should be limited to removing the aforementioned useless wood, and cutting off all branches that compete with scaffold branches or rub against.

5. Cut back the top of the tree to allow sunlight to get to the center of the tree and promote growth.

References

• New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service: Pruning the Home Orchard