How to Prop Up an Off-Balance Fruit Tree Branch

Too much fruit can weigh down a fruit tree's branches.

If your fruit tree's branches are so heavily laden with fruit that they are sagging, your fruit tree is either improperly pruned or improperly thinned of fruit. Once the fruit is large enough to weigh down the branches, it's too late to either prune or thin, but you can prop up the branches to prevent them from breaking. Propping up heavy fruit tree branches also prevents disease from spreading from the ground to the tree.

Things You'll Need

• Saw
• 6- to 8-foot long 2-by-4 plank
• Shovel

Instructions

1. Saw a V-shaped notch into the top of a 2-by-4 wooden plank that's 6 to 8 feet in length. Make sure the notch is deep enough so that the tree branch can rest in it without popping out.

2. Dig a hole about 1 foot deep under the branch you need to prop up, about two-thirds along the length of the branch. Avoid disturbing any of the tree roots.

3. Put the board into the hole and fill the hole with soil so the board stands up on its own.

4. Place the branch on the notch in the board. The weight of the branch will also keep the board in place.

References

• Whitman College: Training and Pruning Your Home Orchard (PDF)
• Master Gardeners of Greater Kansas City: Garden Calendar
• "Grow Fruit;" Alan Buckingham; 2010