Pruning deciduous fruit trees promotes reliable harvests and supports your trees to grow both stronger and healthier. But knowing when and how to prune them is the key to success.
Fruit trees benefit from being pruned annually, but understanding how to prune your trees can seem complex and intimidating at first glance. It doesn’t need to be. Pruning simply involves removing unwanted branches from the tree using secateurs, loppers or a pruning saw in a way that balances fruit and vegetative growth and encourages a desired shape.
While productive trees will grow and bear a harvest without any pruning, there are some key reasons why trimming them up annually is a good idea. The first is to create a good shape and structure for a young tree – a foundation that will encourage strength and stability to bear large fruit loads or endure winds without snapping – while keeping the tree canopy open to allow for good amounts of airflow and sunlight.