Pruning Fruit Trees - Gardening Australia (2024)

SERIES 28 - Episode 23

Winter is a great time for pruning fruit trees and Tino shows how easy it is to get them into shape

In the cooler months, the metabolic activity in plants slows which helps them conserve their energy. By pruning plants now, you direct their energy into spring growth.

Pruning Pomegranates

(Punica granatum)

Pomegranates are often multi-stemmed, and can require formative training to create a desired shape.

1.Remove suckers to reveal roughly 5 of the strongest branches to create a solid framework.
2.
Contain the growth and spread of the tree by pulling in any branches growing outwards by tying them together and pushing out any central leaders to create what is called a 'bush goblet shape.'
Plant-tie tip: When tying off a tree, make a guard or collar by cutting a rectangular section out of an old pot and placing a hole near either end. Thread the string through these holes then place the plastic collar around the branch. This will prevent the string or twine cutting into the bark.
3.
Inward or upright branches can be trained to form a goblet.
See Also
Flowering Quince Care | Plant Addicts
Branch-training chock tip: Push out any central leader branches by making a chock. Simply cut notches in the ends of a section of bamboo and fit these snuggly to the clefts of the branches to hold them apart. This chock can be removed when the sap has risen and the wood has started to harden off (usually late spring/early summer.)

Pruning Youngberries

(Rubus ursinus)

This berry is a cross between a raspberry, a blackberry and a dewberry. The large, purple fruit taste a bit like a blackberry.

Youngberries have sharp thorns, so always wear thick gloves when pruning. Due to their growing habit, they can be difficult to handle when pruning.

Here's an easy way to manage them all together.

Like other cane berries, youngberries fruit on last season's wood, the new, green growth. Grab it and tie it in one direction along a horizontal support.

You can now identify old growth and prune to the ground. Next winter, you can tie the new growth in the opposite direction and repeat the process.

Pruning Quince

(Quince 'Smyrna' Cydonia oblonga cv.)

Quince are closely related to the apple, but tend to be a more rambling grower. They are however, pruned the same way.

1.Start at the base and remove all the suckering growth and any downward-facing branches
2.Remove any crossing limbs from the centre and any whippy growth from the top of the tree. If a branch cannot be cut with secateurs or loppers, it should be left. If larger branches are removed, this will trigger the plant into just growing wood.

FAQs

Pruning Fruit Trees - Gardening Australia? ›

The traditional time to prune your deciduous fruit trees is in late winter while they're dormant, before the buds open. Pruning is basically the removal of selected parts of a tree to control its growth to suit our purposes.

What month do you prune fruit trees in Australia? ›

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What month should I prune my fruit trees? ›

The optimum time of year to prune fruit trees is the dormant season, December, January (best) and until the middle of February, but note summer schedule for Apricots.

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What month is the best time to prune pear trees? ›

The best time to prune your pear tree is determined by how the tree is being grown. Free-standing trees should be tackled from mid-winter to early March when the leaves have fallen. But if a pear is being grown as a cordon, espalier or fan, it's best pruned in summer, with just a light tidy up over winter.

Can you prune fruit trees too much? ›

If you prune too many branches off a fruit tree you can kill the tree. And even if the tree does not die, it will produce water sprouts, straight up and down branches that do not produce fruit.

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How do you prune a pear tree in Australia? ›

Pear trees are best pruned in early spring before the buds open. This allows the tree to heal more quickly and helps prevent disease spread: Remove any dead or damaged branches. Thin out the canopy to allow light and air to reach the centre of the tree.

What happens if you don't prune a fruit tree? ›

Allow sunlight into the tree – If your tree becomes overgrown and unruly, the sunlight won't be able to penetrate the lower branches. Over time these branches will stop producing and become deadwood. The fruit will then be at the top of the tree and much harder to harvest.

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Which fruit trees need summer pruning? ›

The University of California authorities in The Home Orchard say, "It is best to prune apricot and cherry trees in the summer (July or August) so that at least 6 weeks of rain-free weather are likely to follow the pruning."

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Is April too late to prune fruit trees? ›

Apple and pear trees will benefit from a prune between November and April – though for the first few years you shouldn't touch young fruit trees before spring arrives, as the wood is still very vulnerable to heavy frost.

What happens if you prune pear tree in summer? ›

Summer pruning can also induce fruit bud development on lateral branches and can actually hasten the time to fruit production on these laterals. Normally, a lateral branch will form and grow in Year 1. In Years 2 and 3 it forms fruit buds, eventually fruiting in Years 3–4.

What is the proper way to prune a fruit tree? ›

Shorten or remove upper limbs so they don't shade the lower limbs. Thin out the branches of mature trees, and do the heaviest pruning in the top. Remove long shoots in the center and top, but leave some short shoots and most spurs. Remove horizontal branches in the top so they won't produce suckers.

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What fruit trees don't need to be pruned? ›

Citrus is not pruned like apples, grapes, pears and peaches. It is a semi-tropical plant treated more like a shrub than a tree. We do grow them as trees, but we try to prune as little as possible.

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Can I prune fruit trees to a desired height and width? ›

You can keep fruit trees to any desired height whether it is a semi-dwarf or standard size tree by size management. Prune to the size that best suits your needs. If you want it low, prune more, if you want it really high, prune less.

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What month is best for pruning? ›

February is the best time to prune your trees – never prune in April, May or June.

Trimming off dying or diseased branches protects your trees from further harm.
You can prune to promote new tree growth or suppress unwanted growth.
Pruning can keep branches from becoming too large and hazardous.

Jan 31, 2021

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When during the year should trees not be pruned? ›

When Should You Not Cut Tree Branches? As a general rule for deciduous trees, you should not cut tree branches from spring to early fall. Cutting tree branches in summer and early fall (during the growing season) can be particularly damaging because it stimulates new growth in the tree.

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When to prune plum trees in New Zealand? ›

Nectarines, peaches, apricots and plums - we recommend to prune stone fruit trees in late summer after fruiting has finished, however it can be done in early-mid autumn if necessary. If you do prune in autumn protect cut wounds with a water based paint or pruning paint to seal the wound and prevent disease entering.

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