Winter Pruning of Fruit Trees

(Above) an apple tree on the Governor's House Orchard

Mature fruit trees expend energy into either producing new vegetative growth or fruit. Pruning therefore involves a balance between encouraging new growth and fruit. For mature trees,

weak growth pruned hard will result in growth of strong new shoots as there are fewer fruit buds to feed. Strong growth that is pruned lightly encourages the formation of fruit buds or for energy to be channelled into existing fruit buds.

Pruning techniques should be tailored to the state of the tree. For example, the tree may be lacking in new vigorous growth, or growing vigorously but cropping lightly, or it may need new growth to replace older wood nearing the end of its productive life.

In general, younger wood produces finer fruits. Fruit trees will vary in terms of what age a shoot will begin to bare fruit : Cherries, peaches, nectarines fruit on young shoots of the previous summer; Apples and pears fruit on 2 year old wood and even older shoots and spurs (ie. year 1 produces a shoot, year 2 produces fruit buds, year 3 then produces flower and fruit); plums and apricots produce fruit on 2 year old wood and older wood, BUT also bare fruit at the base of one year old shoots as well.

1. APPLES (Malus sylvestris var. domestica) - first remove dead, diseased or damaged wood. Then look at the overall framework of the tree. Remove crossing branches and encourage air circulation in the middle of the tree. The aim should also be to encourage fruit in the lowest, most accessible parts of the tree and to ensure that the tree does not have overcrowding of fruit.

Shorten laterals to stimulate short fruiting sideshoots. Thin congested spur systems as well as older, complicated growth so that individual fruits have more room to develop fully. Weak spur systems should also be removed.

Really vigorous branch leaders should be left unpruned (this would otherwise encourage even more vigorous growth extension diverting energy of the tree from fruit formation). Other branch leaders can be pruned lightly ie. 1/4 to 1/3 cutting to a bud.

Encourage spur formation near the base of laterals by pruning - long laterals to 5 or 6 buds, weaker laterals to 1-3 buds. Leave shorter shoots unpruned.

Summer pruning will only involve light pruning to one year old wood to induce spur formation and also crop thinning.

a spur system on apple tree - this is where fruiting occurs.

2. PEARS (Pyrus communis) - Pears tend to flower earlier than apples. As mentioned previously, the flower and fruit on 2 year old wood and older wood. They have a characteristic tendency to form vigorous upright shoots due to its marked apical dominance with an upright growth habit with a multitude of spur systems. It will require regular spur thinning because of this. As with apple pruning in winter, start by removing dead, damaged, diseased wood and weakened or worn out spur systems. Follow same principles as apples. Pears require alot more nitrogenous matter than apples.

3. PEACHES, NECTARINES (Prunus persica) - unlike apples and pears, peaches and nectarines nearly all are self-fertile. They are easily distinguished by their triple buds.

Here the growth bud is flanked by two flower buds. A growth bud may not necessarily produce a shoot unless it is stimulated to do so by pruning. They flower in early spring and correct pruning is vital to successful pollination.

Peaches and Nectarines fruit on shoots that have grown from the previous year. The aim of pruning therefore is to remove previously fruited growth and encourage new growth. First, older non-productive wood can be identified and removed together with and crowded or crossing growth. Then remove those shoots that have been bent down by cropping.

Aim to cut 1 in 4 of the shoots that have fruited last season to a upward and outward facing bud that will provide a replacement shoot. When pruning to induce a new shoot, cut to a pointed bud NOT a plump fruit bud. Try cutting to a triple bud where possible. In the U.K. peaches and nectarines are not pruned in winter due to their severe frosts and risk of silver leaf and canker.

3. APRICOTS - (Prunus Armeniaca) - Flowers very early in spring. It fruits in a similar fashion to plums ie. on 2 year old wood or older wood, but also at base of 1 year old shoots. Apricots can be identified by the presence of buds on spur systems. It is best to prune apricots after about 40% of leaf drop (In Tassie, usually May). Like walnuts and birches, apricots are heavy bleeders, producing alot of gum at the site of pruning cuts.

4. PLUMS - (Prunus spp.) - Flower on short spur systems. Annual pruning tasks include controlling growth on the upper part of the tree to prevent shading of fruit on the lower branches. Very vigorous upright shoots are best to be removed completely. Shortening of growth will inevitably lead to growth that overcrowds in the centre of the tree so thin out less productive wood to ease this congestion. Fruit thinning may be necessary

(above) Fruiting buds at the end of spurs indicate prunus.

(above) Like apricots, plums can fruit near the base of one year old wood.

Ref : RHS pruning and training manual, pc Roy Baker