Pruning fruit trees

[Derek Reese 29]

Derek -

I would agree with the lower 3 red X's for removal. The orange slash on the right I would remove that limb entirely. That's competing with your central leader. The center red X and the left red X at the top - I'd let those limbs alone. The right red X at the top, and the left orange slash - I'd prune those off ABOVE the cage top - to where a bud is on the bottom of the limb (so the new growth will grow outward.) Pruning them ABOVE the cage top will give you more leaf surfaces to collect sunlight for photosynthesis. The crotch angle look great!

As this tree grows this summer, you'll probably gain more new limbs higher up on the tree. Next spring, you may want to then remove the lowest limbs, thus "raising the canopy" of that tree. That's how I'd prune it now. You can certainly prune as you wish. Good luck with those trees!

thanks Bows! If I can get up there through the 8" of new snow I will get to it this weekend!

 

[Bowsnbucks]

thanks Bows! If I can get up there through the 8" of new snow I will get to it this weekend!

Derek -
I'm not telling you how to prune your tree - it's your tree. I just told you what I'd do if it were my tree. I've pruned all ours in that way, and they've turned out well. Since it was in the thread asking for pruning advice, I thought I'd try to be of help. I get my info from nursery owners, university profs in their fruit depts. , books on apple tree pruning, and tips / pics from some guys on here who don't post often anymore. Those gents are / were long-time commercial apple orchard owners, or nursery owners themselves. I pruned our trees the ways they recommended.

8" of new snow, huh?? High sun angle should melt it down shortly.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Derek -
I'm not telling you how to prune your tree - it's your tree. I just told you what I'd do if it were my tree. I've pruned all ours in that way, and they've turned out well. Since it was in the thread asking for pruning advice, I thought I'd try to be of help. I get my info from nursery owners, university profs in their fruit depts. , books on apple tree pruning, and tips / pics from some guys on here who don't post often anymore. Those gents are / were long-time commercial apple orchard owners, or nursery owners themselves. I pruned our trees the ways they recommended.

8" of new snow, huh?? High sun angle should melt it down shortly.

no worries Bows...You and others on this forum have always steered me in the right direction and I just know you have had good success and know alot more than I do about this pruning stuff (any idiot, myself included, can watch a couple Youtube videos [especially Prof Kent's] and think they are an expert]). You steered me right on the caging/window screen/limestone screenings method for the fruit trees and I have not lost one using that method. The pruning of that tree was just kind of vexing me and I didn't want to take too much/to little or the wrong limbs. Was up there yesterday with my wife and kiddo and saw a few other pruning spots that I missed on other trees.
Little guy was trying to "hand prune" some fence row trees. Can't wait till he's able to help and enjoy.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

no worries Bows...You and others on this forum have always steered me in the right direction and I just know you have had good success and know alot more than I do about this pruning stuff (any idiot, myself included, can watch a couple Youtube videos [especially Prof Kent's] and think they are an expert]). You steered me right on the caging/window screen/limestone screenings method for the fruit trees and I have not lost one using that method. The pruning of that tree was just kind of vexing me and I didn't want to take too much/to little or the wrong limbs. Was up there yesterday with my wife and kiddo and saw a few other pruning spots that I missed on other trees.
Little guy was trying to "hand prune" some fence row trees. Can't wait till he's able to help and enjoy.

It's great when the whole family can get involved!! Having kids out with you magnifies the fun. They grow QUICK!!

I learned what I know about apple trees & their care from nursery owners, orchard owners, Penn State's fruit tree dept. and their book for home fruit gardeners, and some guys on this forum. We had a split-leader Enterprise tree at camp that was growing fast. I knew it would end up better with just one central leader - but I was terrified to try taking the one leader off. One of the guys on here told me to take off the leader that was leaning more than the other one - less straight. I cut it off, and the tree looked like I was trying to kill it - and a camp member asked mt if that's what I was trying to do to it. I had lots of second thoughts. But as it turns out - it was the best advice I got for such a situation. That tree is in great shape and has "righted" itself into a nice shape. It was someone else's smarts - I just pulled the trigger to make the cut ...... second guessing while I was cutting.

The head pf Penn State's fruit tree dept. e-mailed me some great tips on how to correct an apple tree that's gotten out of shape. Some trees at camp I hadn't been able to get up to prune had narrow crotch angles. They needed to be corrected. The PSU prof told me how to "re-program" those trees to get better crotch angles. He said the trees will respond to the pruning cuts I make & how I make them. Free info - tough to beat.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

It's great when the whole family can get involved!! Having kids out with you magnifies the fun. They grow QUICK!!

I learned what I know about apple trees & their care from nursery owners, orchard owners, Penn State's fruit tree dept. and their book for home fruit gardeners, and some guys on this forum. We had a split-leader Enterprise tree at camp that was growing fast. I knew it would end up better with just one central leader - but I was terrified to try taking the one leader off. One of the guys on here told me to take off the leader that was leaning more than the other one - less straight. I cut it off, and the tree looked like I was trying to kill it - and a camp member asked mt if that's what I was trying to do to it. I had lots of second thoughts. But as it turns out - it was the best advice I got for such a situation. That tree is in great shape and has "righted" itself into a nice shape. It was someone else's smarts - I just pulled the trigger to make the cut ...... second guessing while I was cutting.

The head pf Penn State's fruit tree dept. e-mailed me some great tips on how to correct an apple tree that's gotten out of shape. Some trees at camp I hadn't been able to get up to prune had narrow crotch angles. They needed to be corrected. The PSU prof told me how to "re-program" those trees to get better crotch angles. He said the trees will respond to the pruning cuts I make & how I make them. Free info - tough to beat.

your description of pruning is remarkably similar to last spring's pruning at my parent's place...they have 2 6 year old peach and 2 6 year old apple trees that had never been pruned...my Dad stood next to the tree while I pruned and whined that I was "killing all the fruit" and I didn't really even take everything that needed taken..the trees had a rough year this year but I think it was due to really late frosts (and maybe due to the pruning also)...looking for a big improvement this year though

 

[bigboreblr]

your description of pruning is remarkably similar to last spring's pruning at my parent's place...they have 2 6 year old peach and 2 6 year old apple trees that had never been pruned...my Dad stood next to the tree while I pruned and whined that I was "killing all the fruit" and I didn't really even take everything that needed taken..the trees had a rough year this year but I think it was due to really late frosts (and maybe due to the pruning also)...looking for a big improvement this year though

Some people just dont get taking care of trees / plants.

MY mom comlained a few years ago about the dead grass around the pine trees. She complained I was going to kill the trees too with the lime........

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Some people just dont get taking care of trees / plants.

MY mom comlained a few years ago about the dead grass around the pine trees. She complained I was going to kill the trees too with the lime........

I think it was more of a lack of understanding about what the trees should look like and what pruning actually accomplishes than anything else..and he knows I do a bit of reading and research on this stuff so he was just giving me a hard time..when he gets 15 dozen peaches off those trees this year I’m gonna razz him right back!

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I was just thinking about trying to get out and start looking over the trees to see how much pruning needs to be done, then I realized there is waist deep snow, and decided the trees can wait until it’s below my knees. May be a while.

Here I am 2 months later, and within a week, I went from 2+ feet of snow, to no snow in a week, so I finally got my trees pruned today. I am not sure what would have been worse, pruning in the 3 feet of snow I had in February, or pruning in 80 degrees we have this week, but better late then never, and it is done, at least the bottom 8 feet of the trees.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Here's what the little Arkansas Black looks like currently...I would say the pruning worked and I am going to have to take more than a few pieces of fruit starting off...

 

[H20fwler]

^^^ On that one, I myself would cut that limb on the right off. I wouldn't want a crotch that low, let the new growth take that leader on up...I nip off any branching under 4'. You have some really good root structure going on and the top growth up will really take off now feeding the central leader.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

^^^ On that one, I myself would cut that limb on the right off. I wouldn't want a crotch that low, let the new growth take that leader on up...I nip off any branching under 4'. You have some really good root structure going on and the top growth up will really take off now feeding the central leader.

I plan to take 1 of the 2 limbs of the "split" next spring..I just wanted to see which one looks better/straighter (leaning towards taking the right one now)...great minds right?!?

 

[Bowsnbucks]

FWIW - I agree with H20fwler. I'd prune off that right side, & let the nutrients & energy take the taller, straight side even taller.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

FWIW - I agree with H20fwler. I'd prune off that right side, & let the nutrients & energy take the taller, straight side even taller.

will it be "too much" if I do it now? I already took a couple as you all have suggested

 

[Wild Thing]

^^^ On that one, I myself would cut that limb on the right off. I wouldn't want a crotch that low, let the new growth take that leader on up...I nip off any branching under 4'. You have some really good root structure going on and the top growth up will really take off now feeding the central leader.

X2

FWIW - I agree with H20fwler. I'd prune off that right side, & let the nutrients & energy take the taller, straight side even taller.

X3

will it be "too much" if I do it now? I already took a couple as you all have suggested

I agree that that lower branch needs to go and the sooner, the better. General rule of thumb is Do Not Remove More Than 20-25% of the tree at any one time. If you feel you have recently taken that much you may want to wait a month or two but I would not let it go past then. Why allow it to rob water and nutrients from the main leader when you know you won't want to keep that branch anyway?

 

[Derek Reese 29]

X2



X3



I agree that that lower branch needs to go and the sooner, the better. General rule of thumb is Do Not Remove More Than 20-25% of the tree at any one time. If you feel you have recently taken that much you may want to wait a month or two but I would not let it go past then. Why allow it to rob water and nutrients from the main leader when you know you won't want to keep that branch anyway?

I think I pruned them back in about February or March, so I think it should be ok...and the "limbs" that I took were not that big (maybe 10" long at the largest). Thanks fellas!

 

[Wild Thing]

I think I pruned them back in about February or March, so I think it should be ok...and the "limbs" that I took were not that big (maybe 10" long at the largest). Thanks fellas!

Yes, You should be fine to go ahead and remove that branch now then.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

I did it fellas...took the plunge and cut the right side off my little roadside Arkansas Black...it still has lots of blossoms so I should be able to satisfy my curiosity and it will be better off in the long run...

 

[Mortenson]

I didn't read all the thread but if it was me I'd remove all the blossoms. Put all the energy into the tree.

 

[Wild Thing]

Good job. You won't regret removing that branch and your tree will appreciate it.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

I didn't read all the thread but if it was me I'd remove all the blossoms. Put all the energy into the tree.

plan to take most of the fruit once it sets...we have had a cold, wet spring and I want to feed some bees first