Home Gardening

Pruning time nears for fruit trees
The Coast Gardener Newspaper and Web Column - January 12, 2002

The time is nearing for dormant season pruning of fruit trees. Even though February is often considered the best month to prune them, it is not too early to begin thinking about the right way to do it.

Pruning is a very important part of fruit tree management. Knowing how to correctly prune your fruit trees will greatly enhance both fruit production and tree health.

Apples and pears produce best when pruned to a modified central leader. Overgrown or neglected trees are very difficult to bring into proper form, so prune apple and ear trees every year for best results.

Central leaders do not just happen to grow on these trees. Proper training essentially begins at the moment you plant the tree. Three to five evenly spaced branches are chosen at the end of the first growing season. These branches form the first set of limbs on the tree.

Spacers are then used to force all but one branch toward the horizontal or at an angle of no more than 45 degrees. The one branch left alone will grow upward where you can prune it about two and one-half feet above the first tier of limbs. This location will form the second tier of branches.

When the next pruning season comes around, choose the strongest of the branches to be the modified central leader. Again, spread the remaining limbs as you did with the first tier of limbs. This leader is topped at the desired point of the third tier of limbs. Continue to prune in this manner until the tree reaches the proper height. Allow the tree to grow only as tall as convenient for harvesting fruit.

Peach and plum trees are pruned during this time, too. These trees are first cut off about thirty inches above the ground when planted. This forces the side buds to grow and leaves an open center in the tree. If your tree happens to be shorter than thirty inches, let it grow and pinch out the top once it reaches that height.

Four to six branches are selected to be the scaffold branches. Ideally, the chosen branches should be evenly spaced around the trunk and six inches apart up and down it. All other limbs are removed. New buds will sprout along the trunk as the tree grows. Remove them so you will have a neat, clean trunk now and less mess to prune later. The following winter allows for the removal of any new lateral branches. Extremely long branches are shortened to promote a uniform tree shape.

By the third year, you can expect a few peaches and plums. Prune lightly the third winter, as growth will be slowed because more energy went to the fruit and not to the foliage. New branches and "water sprouts" should be removed. Water sprouts are those vigorously growing branches that grow strait up and do not branch. Tip prune any lateral branches that grew exceptionally long to maintain the tree's correct form.

Peaches and plums should be pruned moderately each year. Branches that grow toward the center of the tree are removed to allow for good air circulation and more sunlight to reach the leaves. More sunlight means more food production that leads to sweeter fruit. About one-third of the growth is removed every year. Certainly, this may mean less fruit; however, the fruit you harvest will be larger.

Having attractive and productive home orchards require a lot of work and patience. I encourage you to select only those varieties approved for South Mississippi growing conditions. Proper fruit tree management will enable you to reap the "fruits" of your labor.

These archived gardening columns were written by Chance McDavid, former Harrison County Extension Agent.