If you're lucky enough to have apple, plum, and pear trees in your yard, you've probably picked and eaten many of the delicious fruits. Now that the bounty of summer is over, your trees will begin storing food for the winter, during which they will essentially “rest.” In order to direct the sugar produced in the leaves during photosynthesis to the roots, the plant must shed its leaves. Should you then cut the fruit trees in autumn?
After the leaves fall, it is important to provide the trees with additional care to prepare them for winter dormancy so that they will be in full bloom again in April. Find out below when and how you should prune fruit trees!
When should you prune fruit trees?
The dormant season is the best time to prune fruit trees. If the trees are still bearing fruit or leaves, it is too early to prune. If possible, you should postpone pruning until you have experienced a cold season. If the trees go into hibernation now, they will be able to survive the winter better without experiencing a rapid growth spurt.
Timely pruning allows growth to be controlled. When you should prune fruit trees depends on the specific tree species. Pruning your fruit trees in fall or winter will encourage healthy new growth in the spring. Strong apple, pear and quince trees are cut both in autumn and in late winter, when the weaker growth promotes flower formation.
Since stone fruits (cherries, plums, apricots) are more susceptible to wood diseases than pome fruits (apples, pears, quinces), they are best pruned in summer, immediately after harvest. When budding in spring, only peaches should be pruned.
Why exactly are fruit trees cut?
The most common reasonsfor the pruningof fruit trees are:
- Maintaining a manageable tree size
- smaller trees make it easier to harvest the fruit
- pruning increases fruit production
- to keep the trees in a shape that we like
- to remove hanging branches
- for better ventilation (and thus to reduce the risk of fungal diseases)
- to strengthen the tree
When it comes to pruning fruit trees, there are no general instructions that apply to all types of fruit. First and foremost, you should thin out your fruit trees. To this end, you should consider the following advice:
- Water shoots should be completely cut off on trunks and branches.
- Annual and perennial shoots should be shortened: pay attention to the so-called juice scale. So that you supply all branches evenly with nutrients and juice,cutthe tips of the leading branches back to the buds (at the same height!).
- Cut back any shoots that grow too low or too high in the tree canopy. This allows more air and sunlight to reach the leaves and branches.
- Fruit mummies should be removed because they spread disease.
- Dead branches must be cut off with a saw.
Remove larger branches
It is recommended to remove larger branches in several steps. Attempting to remove a large branch with a single cut can result in damage to the tree or tearing of the bark. This impairs the tree's natural defenses against diseases and wounds.
Larger branches should be removed 30 - 40 cm above the desired final cut. This reduces the pressure on the branch and makes it easier to control the saw. When making the final cut, pay close attention to the details. Hold the heavy scrap piece firmly (a helper may be required to hold it while you loosen it with the saw). It's a good idea to partially cut the underside of the branch before making larger cuts with a saw or chainsaw. If the branch falls, the bark remains intact.
Shape of fruit trees
The aim of maintenance pruning is to maintain fertility potential while increasing fruit quality. All other competing shoots should be removed as quickly as possible. These are branches that threaten to overgrow the tips of the leading branches and the central shoot. You should then cut back all shoots that grow almost vertically, which are also known as water shoots. To rejuvenate the fruit tree, all overhanging branches are removed.
Different types of pruning
Age also brings changes to trees. If they are already heavily branched, the branches of fruit trees need to be cut back as soon as possible after planting. When the trees reach a certain age, a different form of pruning is required. But the fall season is not the best time to get everything done.
Wait until the young tree has formed healthy roots and reached the appropriate height before cutting it. In later years, only start with moderate pruning when the plant has formed larger, new shoots.
A training cut can be carried out in autumn or at the end of winter.
The result of proper maintenance pruning is a crown that is both load-bearing and breathable. The fruits grow at a height where they can be easily picked.
Rejuvenation pruning is essential to remove dead or diseased shoots. If you prune the plant in the fall, vigorous new growth may occur the following spring. If pruning is carried out in summer, development will be inhibited.
How you can prune trees in Octoberfind out here!
