You are not alone!  Pruning can be very intimidating. You know, or have heard you must prune them every year, but have no idea how.

  

 It's easy to neglect the annual training and pruning of fruit trees, when you have no idea where to begin or what to do. Without training and pruning, however, fruit trees will not develop proper shape and form. Properly trained and pruned trees will yield high quality fruit much earlier in their lives and live significantly longer.
          

A primary objective of training and pruning is to develop a strong tree framework that will support fruit production. Improperly trained fruit trees generally have very upright branch angles, which result in serious limb breakage under a heavy fruit load. This significantly reduces the productivity of the tree and may greatly reduce tree life. Another goal of annual training and pruning is to remove dead, diseased, or broken limbs.

Proper tree training also opens up the tree canopy to maximize light penetration. For most tree fruits, flower buds for the current season's crop are formed the previous summer. Light penetration is essential for flower bud development and optimal fruit set, flavor, and quality. Although a mature tree may be growing in full sun, a very dense canopy may not allow enough light to reach 12 to 18 inches inside the canopy. Opening the tree canopy also permits adequate air movement through the tree, which promotes rapid drying to minimize disease infection and allows thorough pesticide penetration. Additionally, a well shaped fruit tree is aesthetically pleasing, whether in a landscaped yard, garden, or commercial orchard.

  

Not all types of fruit trees should be pruned the same.  Peach, apple, apricot, pears, plums, and cherries need to be pruned differently.  And what about a fruit tree that has not been pruned in years?  Where do you begin?

  

Find all the answers to pruning fruit trees at pinehurstfloralandgreenhouse.com.