Pruning Fruit Trees

PV orchard aerial view 03 TRAINING AND PRUNING FRUIT TREES

Michael G. Janik

ISA Certified Arborist www.michaelsapples.com Training vs. Pruning My Favorite Pruning Books Right tool for the right job

Loppers Pruners Saws

Clean Sanitized Sharp Anvil vs. Bypass Shears

Pruning

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Firewood pruning ‘03 Firewood Pruning ‘04 Firewood Tree ‘05 Firewood Tree ‘08 Firewood Tree 2010 Shade Apple

Open to allow sunlight and airflow Starling Special

Dwarfing Rootstocks

Genetic Miniatures

Upright growth

Acute limb angles

Spring Bare root trees

Horizontal Scaffold Limbs

Scaffold limbs, fruiting shoots HUH???

Need low, horizontal scaffold limbs

Do not plant on easements Garden, Orchard or Yard? Topping x 3 Natural Target Pruning Proper pruning cut, before Proper pruning cut, after Well-sealed pruning scar Cut back to a branch or bud Open to infection Natural Target Pruning II

• Always cut back to a bud or branch • Always angle the cut away from the bud • Choose growth direction Angle cut away from bud Select bud growth direction Cut to a Branch, Bud, or Fruiting Spur Apical Dominance

• Apical dominance is a tree’s response to a pruning cut • All pruning cuts cause the same reaction in a tree • Proper pruning uses apical dominance to shape trees

Apical Dominance Size control using rootstocks

• Standard—25 ft and up • Semi-Dwarf or half-standard – 8 to18 ft apples, pears – 15 to 20+ ft stone fruits (cherries, plums, etc • Genetic Dwarf/Miniatures—5-8 ft • Varietal vigor Standard Semi-Dwarf Dwarf Apple Tree (must be supported) Easy access to harvest Pruning Forms for Fruit Trees Training a Horizontal Espalier

• Suitable for apples and pears • Recommend 24-16-16-16 inches • Opens tree to sunlight and air flow • Easy to prune • Easy access to spray, thin, and pick • Easily covered with bird netting • Aesthetically attractive Pear espalier on south-facing wall Training Anything’s Possible 1st Year Horizontal Espalier Summer Winter before pruning Winter after pruning 2nd Year Horizontal Espalier Water sprouts and fruiting shoots Water Sprouts After Pruning Before After 3rd Year Espalier Apple Espaliers Third year Mature Horizontal Espalier Espalier Pear Ohio Mature Horizontal espalier End of Row Apple Espalier early summer PV Orchard 2005 Informal or Fan Espalier Candelabra Training a Fan Espalier

• Suitable for all fruits • Locate against a south facing wall or as a hedge or fence • Easy to prune, easy to care for • Aesthetically beautiful 1st Year Fan Espalier 2nd Year Fan Espalier Mature Fan Espalier Plum Espalier Renewing a plum espalier, before Renewing a plum espalier, after Training A Central Leader Tree

• Apples, Pears, plums, and cherries • Dwarf Pyramid or Pyramid • French Axe • Spindle Bush 1st Year Training Horizontal Limb Growth Training using Clothespins 1st year 2nd year, etc; before 2nd year, etc; after 2nd Year 2yr dwarf pyramid pear 3rd and Subsequent Years Cut out vigorous growth Vigorous growth removed Regrowth Next Summer Always remove one of any split shoots Split Trunk Thin forked branch growth Mature dwarf pyramid Central leader pear in bloom Semi-dwarf Central Leader Supported French Axe Central Leader Pears Oregon Central Leader Pears Summary

Training a Central Leader Training an Open Center Tree

• Stone fruits, esp. peaches, nectarines • Lowest limb 12-18 inches • 3-5 limbs at low angle form a vase shape • Allows sunlight needed to ripen fruit Training an Open Center Tree 1yr Open Center Cherry 2yr Open Center Cherry Open Center oriental pear Open center peach Texas peach orchard Texas peach tree Peach tree at Monticello Winter vs. Summer Pruning

• Winter (Dormant) Pruning – Promotes vegetative growth in the spring – Use to train young trees • (Late) Summer and Fall pruning – Reduces food storage in roots and hence reduces tree growth in spring – Use on older, overgrown trees to open and rejuvenate the tree. – Use to establish fruiting spurs Restoring a Neglected Fruit Tree Rejuvenating Neglected Trees • Always – Remove dead, diseased, and damaged wood – Remove crossing/rubbing branches – Remove water sprouts at limb junction – Remove suckers at the root junction • Never – Remove more than 20% green wood each year – Never fertilize

Arroyo 2004 Arroyo 2008 Arroyo Before After 90 yr old Delicious Quincy, CA apple tree

Heading Back, Apple Tree, Quincy, CA Standard pear Apple Before After

After After

2nd year 3rd year Semi dwarf, before Semi dwarf, after R e d

D e l

Red Del 09 Before

Apple, before Apple, after Pruning for Fruit

• Apples and Pears – Spur bearing – Tip Bearing • Plums and Cherries • Nectarines and Peaches Pear flower buds on spurs Peach flower on last year’s growth Pruning for spur fruit Fruiting spurs on mature tree Renewal Pruning of Spurs Pruning for Peaches & Nectarines Peach flower and leaf buds New and old growth on peach Summary

• Apical Dominance • Cut to a branch or bud • Choose bud/growth direction • Training vs. Pruning

• References, Google It! • Buy a Pruning Book and Use It!