The picture below shows correct and incorrect pruning of an apple tree. The tree should mature to a pyramidal shape. The tree should be trained with one central leader or main trunk in the center, with several wide-angled limbs spaced around the leader. This neglect results in poor growth and delayed fruiting.Īpple trees are trained to a modified leader system. Too often backyard growers plant apple trees and leave them untended for several years. The day apple trees are planted is the day to begin to train and prune for future production. The types of branching involved in pruning are illustrated below. Training and pruning procedures vary according to the type, age and variety of fruit crop. Major removal of twigs and branches should be done during the dormant season, preferably before active growth begins in the spring. Light pruning can be performed throughout the growing season to remove broken, injured or diseased branches and to improve air circulation to control foliar diseases.

Thinning removes an entire shoot or limb to its point of origin on the main branch or lateral. Heading or heading back removes the terminal portion of shoots or limbs. Two basic pruning cuts are heading and thinning. Pruning is an annual management practice. Training begins at planting and may be required for several years. These plant parts will serve as dwelling sites for insects and diseases and should be removed from the area to reduce pest populations. Discard or compost pruned out shoots and branches.Use sharp pruning tools to make clean cuts.

Bending and tying shoots instead of cutting them out, especially on apple and pear trees can induce early fruit production. Train as much as possible and remove as little as possible.Once a branch is pruned out or removed, it cannot be replaced. Before training or pruning a plant, visualize the results of the action.Untrained and unpruned trees become entangled masses of shoots and branches that produce little or no fruit and harbor insects and diseases.Ĭonsider the following tips when training and pruning fruit crops: Fruit size, quality and pest management are influenced by training and pruning. Training and pruning are essential for growing fruit successfully.

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