To thrive in the home garden, deciduous fruiting trees, bushes, and vines require a care regimen just like commercial trees. The most commonly neglected practice is pruning. Training and pruning will develop proper shape and form, ensure good fruit quality, enhance longevity, and minimize damage and disease. Good pruning and training practices promote strength in the framework and remove dead, damaged, and diseased wood. Pruning will open the canopy to light penetration and allow the plant to carry fruit to maturity.
Pruning and training invigorates new growth and enhances the ability of a plant to develop high quality fruit. However, not all fruit trees and shrubs are pruned the same way. The technique and timing of pruning fruit-bearing plants varies depending on the variety and the desired results.
To consolidate the pruning techniques of various fruiting crops, information in this publication has been excerpted from previous UGA publications. Access other UGA Extension publications for further information on pruning woody plants (B 949) and the cultivation of apples (C 740), pears (C 742), figs (C 945), peaches (C 1063), raspberries and blackberries (C 766), blueberries (C 946), grapes (C 949), and pomegranates (C 997) in home gardens.
Common Terms
Branch collar – The raised tissue at the base of every branch. It contains specialized cells that grow over the wound, preventing infection.
Crotch angle – The angle formed between the trunk and a limb. An angle of 45 to 60 degrees has the greatest strength.
Crown – The base of the trunk where the tree meets the soil. Heading – A pruning cut that removes only part of the branch.
Lateral branch – A side shoot emerging from another branch, usually at a horizontal angle.
Leader – The apex of a scaffold limb. Fruiting trees can be trained to single or multiple leader systems.
Scaffold limb – A large limb that forms a tree’s framework.
Shoot – The length of a branch grown in a single season. Bud scale scars, which look like a ring of small ridges, mark the start of a season’s growth.
Spur – A short shoot that fruits.
Stub – The part of a branch left after a pruning cut. Proper pruning practices will avoid leaving stubs.
Sucker sprout – A shoot that grows from the root within a season.
Terminal – The end of a shoot.
Thinning cut – A pruning cut that removes an entire branch from its point of origin.
Vertical branch – An upright growing branch.
Water sprout – A vigorous upright growing branch that tends to develop on upper surfaces of horizontal limbs
Pruning and Training
Pruning is the removal of a portion of the plant. The purpose of pruning is to balance the plant between fruit quality and structure.
Training is manipulation of the plant. Training involves spreading limbs, tying the plant to a trellis, and/or using a rootstock for growth control.
Pruning and training starts at planting and is continued through the life of the plant. In the first few years of establishing a fruiting plant, the grower should be thinking about its form or structure. The plant should be shaped for ease of harvest, aesthetics, and continued annual pruning and training. If done properly, the plant will require minimal effort each year to maintain the plant. Both pruning and training are activities that can be done during dormancy and summer with great effect.
Dormant and Summer Pruning and Training
Training can take place year-round. Mechanical manipulation of branches, vines, or canes is best accomplished before the tissue has become stiff or hardened-off. However, supple tissue can also be easily broken, warranting careful consideration of the timing for training. Training is done to control the direction of growth, reduce narrow-angled branching, and devigorate growth. Shoots or limbs having narrow-angled crotches are weaker than those having wide crotch angles (Figure 2). The bark of the adjoining branches becomes tightly compressed or included, preventing normal wood development.
Dormant pruning takes place in late winter or early spring to avoid damaging freezes. Dormant pruning is an invigorating process. Carbohydrates are produced by the plant and stored in the roots and trunk for the initial burst of spring growth. By removing branches and limbs during dormant pruning, there will be fewer growing points, and the tree will respond by producing new vigorous, upright shoots, called water sprouts. Water sprouts and excessive vegetative growth from severe dormant pruning may be corrected with summer pruning.
Summer pruning is devigorating for the plant by reducing the amount of carbohydrates being stored. Summer pruning removes the vigorous water sprouts and excessive vegetative growth. Summer pruning may begin from early bud growth to the end of July. Pruning into late summer and early fall can increase the potential for winter injury.
Pruning Cuts
Heading Cut
A heading cut removes the terminal part of a branch (Figure 3). Heading cuts are used to invigorate and promote lateral branching. Heading 1-year-old wood will stimulate branching within 12 to 15 inches from the cut and strengthen the headed branch. For older trees, heading wood that’s at least 2 years old will help it to maintain form. Other names for heading cuts are topping, dehorning, hedging, and clipping.
Thinning Cut
A thinning cut removes the entire branch from its point of origin at the lateral or main branch (Figure 4). Thinning cuts remove wood from the branch collar (the raised tissue at the base of the branch) and does not leave a stub. Thinning cuts are used to shorten limbs, remove water sprouts, and clear excessive vegetative growth to improve light penetration and direct the growth of shoots and limbs.
Drop-crotching
A form of thinning used to reduce the size of large trees, drop-crotching involves the removal of a main branch or leader by cutting it back to a large, lateral branch. The cut through the main branch is made parallel to the angle of the remaining lateral. When removing large tree limbs, a series of three cuts are recommended to avoid tearing the bark along the main trunk and opening a large wound that could become infected (Figure 5).
The bench cut is the removal of vigorous upright limbs to a horizontal limb that often results in water sprouts. Careful consideration of limb removal should be observed to avoid weakened regrowth. The correct method is to make cuts that are similar to the limb being removed but not greater than 45 to 60 degrees from vertical (Figure 6).
Healing Response to Pruning
Healing naturally follows pruning or wounding. It starts in the cambium, a thin layer of cells between the wood and bark. Two areas of the cambium, the bark ridge at the junction of two limbs, and the branch collar, a ring of slightly raised tissue where the lateral branch joins the main limb, function to close off the wound between the plant and the pruning cut. For fastest healing, prune close to the main branch without injuring the bark ridge or branch collar areas (Figure 7). Leaving a stub will slow healing and invite decay. There is no clear evidence that wound dressings reduce wood rots; however, using an approved fungicide after pruning will minimize infection.
Selection and Maintenance of Pruning Equipment
Pruning equipment does not have to be sophisticated, but it should be of the best quality you can afford. A quality pair of bypass, scissor-type hand pruners will go a long way toward accomplishing simple orchard pruning. Select a pair that are comfortable in your hand and are made of quality materials that have replaceable components. Inexpensive hand pruners will not last as long as a quality pair, and they may not perform as well. A quality pair of lopping clippers is also vital for good orchard maintenance. The lopping shears, just like the hand clippers, should be of the bypass type. Loppers with longer handles will allow you to develop more torque when taking off larger diameter branches.
A pruning pole and handsaw are two other important tools you want to have on hand, particularly if you are growing fruit trees. Pruning poles can reach to the top of trees to a height of 15 to 20 feet, which would be useful if you were pruning out something like fire blight from an apple tree. A small foldable hand saw will make quick work of lower, accessible branches that are too big for the hand pruners or lopping shears.
All of your pruning tools should be kept sharp and clean so that they are always ready for the next job. Sharpening is best accomplished by using a small mill file followed by some type of stone or diamond sharpener to create a razor sharp edge. Always maintain the sharpening angle on the blade that was intended by the manufacturer. Clippers should be disinfected with a light diluted alcohol mix (1 part alcohol to 4 parts water) or a disinfectant spray solution (1 part bleach to 9 parts water) to help protect against transfer of viruses and other disease pathogens. Disinfect pruning tools between each plant, and when removing diseased plant tissue, disinfect after each cut to minimize further infection. When pruning, have a kit handy with a sharpening tool and spray bottle filled with disinfectant.
The Art and Science of Pruning and Training
Pruning and training starts at planting and continues throughout the life of the fruiting plant. The pruning practice or strategy used depends on the fruiting plant, space allotted, and environmental conditions. When selecting a fruiting crop, learn whether the plant is self-fertile or needs cross pollination, how many chilling hours are required for the plant to flower, and how susceptible the plant is to freeze damage (cold hardiness). Also, carefully consider the plant’s susceptibility to diseases and insects that may limit the plant’s survivability. Pruning out fire blight, twig borers, and freeze damage can limit fruit production and require considerable effort. Fruit thinning should be considered throughout the life of the plant. Tree fruit crops such as apple and peach tend to overcrop, causing limb breakage. In the first year after planting, all fruit or flowers should be removed to promote shoot and root growth.
Read through the following sections to learn pruning methods for various fruiting crops.
Tree Fruits
Apples
Pruning apple trees should start at planting to develop a strong, well-balanced framework of scaffold branches. Remove unwanted branches, or cut them back early to avoid the necessity of large cuts later. Apple trees are available in a number of scion/rootstock combinations and purchasing the appropriate combination to fill the space selected in the yard will reduce the amount of pruning needed each year. Although apple trees are trained in a number of configurations, the central leader training method is widely recommended and is the method shown in the following.
At Planting: Whether you obtain a small unbranched whip or a larger branched tree, it is necessary to prune the tree at planting. Head the unbranched whip back to 24 to 30 inches from the ground (Figure 9). This will cause the buds just below the cut to grow and form scaffold branches. If branched 1- or 2-year-old trees are planted, select four or five lateral branches with wide-angled crotches that are spaced equidistant around the tree and 2 to 5 inches apart vertically. The selected laterals should be no lower than 18 inches above the ground, and they should be pruned back slightly by cutting off one-fourth of each limb’s length.
First Growing Season: When the tree has grown 2 to 3 inches, begin the training process. Fasten wooden, spring-loaded clothespins between the main branch and the new succulent growth (Figure 10). The clothespins force the new growth outward and upward to form the strong crotch angles needed to support the fruit load in years to come. The clothespins should be left on the tree for about 6 weeks.
One Year Old: A number of branches should have developed after the first growing season, and if they were clothespinned, they should have good, wide crotch angles. The objective now is to develop a strong central leader and framework of scaffold branches. In Figure 11, we can see the 1-year-old tree before and after pruning. Note that we have left only four scaffold branches spaced around the tree. All of the remaining branches, as well as the central leader, have been pruned back by about one-fourth. Always make sure the ends of the scaffold branches are below the end of the central leader after they have been pruned.
Second Growing Season: During the second growing season, develop a second layer of scaffolds on the central leader 24 to 30 inches above the scaffolds you established the year before. Be sure to use the clothespins on new succulent growth, particularly shoots that develop below the central leader pruning cut, so you will develop wide crotch angles. Figure 12 illustrates a properly trained apple tree in late May of the second growing season.
Two Years Old: The use of limb spreaders can help bring about earlier fruit production, improved tree shape, and strong crotch angles. Spreaders can either be short pieces of wood with sharpened nails driven into each end or sharpened metal rods. Limbs should be spread to a 45- to 60-degree angle, but not above a 60-degree angle from the main trunk. Limbs spread wider than 60 degrees have a tendency to produce vigorous suckers along the top-side of the branch and may stop terminal shoot growth. The spreaders will need to remain in place for about six weeks until the wood “stiffens up.” Figure 13 illustrates a 2-year-old tree after pruning in which metal rods have been used as spreaders. Pruning consists of entirely removing undesirable limbs and, only where necessary, reducing the length of terminal scaffolds by one-fourth. Unless they’re excessively long, weaker side limbs should not be pruned so that they can develop flower buds. Excessive and unnecessary pruning will invigorate a tree and delay fruit production.
Proper training, spreading, and pruning have resulted in the development of flower buds that will produce a good crop in the coming season (Figure 14).
Notice that the upper (second) set of scaffolds should be shorter than lower (first) set. The second and any succeeding scaffold layers should always be kept shorter by dormant pruning. A properly trained and pruned central leader tree should conform to roughly a pyramidal (Christmas tree) shape.
Pruning Neglected Apple Trees: Many people purchase homes that have older apple trees on the property. In many cases, the previous owner did not take the time to properly prune the trees, and the result is similar to Figure 15. The tree has become bushy and weak and will produce very poor quality apples. Such a tree requires extensive corrective pruning.
The main objective in pruning such a tree is to try and open up the interior to allow good light penetration. The first step is to remove all the upright, vigorous growing shoots (at their base) that are shading the interior. As with the young apple trees, it is necessary to select three to five lower scaffold branches with good crotch angles that are spaced around the tree. Limbs with poor angles and excess scaffold limbs should be removed at their base. In some cases it is advisable to spread the corrective pruning over two to three seasons. When severe pruning is done in the winter, do not fertilize the trees that spring.
Figure 16 is the same tree after the first season’s pruning. The next year, it will be necessary to remove more limbs, especially on the left side. Note that most of the cuts were thinning types; that is, the wood was removed to its base or point of origin.
The remaining limbs can be pruned back to a fourth of their length to a side limb if it is desired to stiffen them. If you don’t cut them back, the limbs may bend and/or break under a heavy crop load.
Pruning and Training to the Trellis: Non-spur varieties on M 9 and M 26 and spur varieties on M 7 rootstock are the best to train to a trellis. To train trees to a trellis, start by planting the trees midway between the posts (Figure 17). Remember to keep the graft union above the ground. Cut the trees off at 24 inches high and loosely tie them to the bottom trellis wire. Allow young shoots to develop in spring and early summer.
Status and Revision History
Published on Aug 02, 2016
Published with Full Review on Jun 09, 2020