How to prune and shape fruit trees
Pruning and shaping
To produce a good crop, fruit trees and bushes require proper and regular pruning and, in many cases, shaping. The strength and method of pruning are more important than the desired shape and time of fruit ripening, habitus, and type of fruit. Thus, for example, proportionally limited pruning should be applied when creating a bushy form of an open environment, while it is significantly more necessary during formative pruning. Stronger pruning is also necessary for the shape of a fan or horizontal palmette in order to create a symmetrical network of well-shaped branches.
The purpose of pruning and shaping
In the beginning, young trees and shrubs need to be pruned and shaped to create the desired shape and to develop a strong, uniform base. With established plants, the purpose of subsequent pruning is to maintain the health and shape of the plant as well as to ensure a good crop.
Pruning
It is the process of removing unwanted shoots and branches, which can damage the backbone of the plant, or those that are unproductive. Proper pruning maintains an open structure, which allows the maximum amount of sunlight needed for fruit ripening. It also simplifies spraying and harvesting. Pruning also includes the removal of dead, damaged, or barren branches.
Pruning and shaping can be combined in young plants to create a specific shape. Unwanted shoots are completely removed, while other shoots are shortened to encourage the growth of side shoots. A hardened native tree, shrub, or plant is pruned to encourage optimal growth and fruiting.
Shaping
It is the process of selecting branches and, in many cases, tying saplings together to create a certain shape. For cultivated forms close to the natural form, such as, for example, a bush, much less shaping is required than for a fan. The fan is created by the precise selection, spacing, and tying of individual saplings to the support.
Pruning that is too strong or too weak
Be careful not to prune too hard or too lightly, as this limits fertility and can encourage the development of disease. Heavy pruning causes increased vegetative growth, which can limit fruit growth. It is especially harmful to plants that are already lush. Too little pruning creates overcrowded branches, which receive too little sun, necessary for fruit ripening. Branches can touch each other, which often causes diseases such as cancer. Too weak pruning of a young tree can also contribute to an excessive early yield, which is why the tree often becomes stunted, and an overload of fruits can break the branches.
When to prune
Pruning time depends both on certain procedures and on the type of fruit. For the pruning procedures described here and for individual fruits, "first year" refers to the first 12 months after planting, "second year" to the next 12 months, etc.
Winter pruning is common practice on all unshaped apples, pears, quinces, medlars, vines, black, red, and white currants, gooseberries, and blueberries. Pruning of unformed stone fruit trees (plum, cherry, peach, nectarine, and apricot) must be delayed until spring (for young trees) or summer (for established trees) to reduce the risk of silver leaf disease. Spring pruning is important for shaping fruit trees, vines, currants, and gooseberries. This reduces their exuberance and keeps them within a limited space, and it also concentrates the plant's strength on the production of fruits. Many types of pome fruit are pruned immediately after fruiting.
How to prune
When you decide to prune apple or pear trees, be sure to study the data on the vigor of individual seedlings and the entire tree. Lush branches should be pruned lightly. This is usually a thorough thinning of one part of the saplings, while the rest are not pruned at all. Prune weak branches more vigorously, but first check for diseases, such as canker, that cause stunting.
Where to cut
It is important to always cut just above a healthy bud and make a smooth cut. Pruning between two buds or leaving an uneven cut can cause the sapling to die or increase its susceptibility to disease. If you are removing an entire sapling or branch, cut it at the point from which it grows, but do not peel off the bark and damage part of the tissue of the bed from which the sapling or branch grows. Before completing the top cut, make a smaller bottom cut to prevent tearing off the branch or bark. Cut either to the point of growth of the branch or to a healthy and well-placed branch that will serve as a suitable replacement. If you leave the remaining part of the branch short, the severed end will die even after healing. Cut off any rough ends with a sharp knife.
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