When we first moved to our home five years ago, one of the first things we wanted to do was plant fruit trees. My husband grew up having them and I loved the idea of our children being able to go out into their own yard to pick fresh apples, pears, and peaches. Surprisingly, fruit trees are pretty low maintenance once they are at full maturity but it is very important to prune them annually until then.
Pruning is important in order for the trees to be able to produce the most amount of fruit possible. It helps create thick stems and opens the canopy for maximum sunlight to reach the flowers. Fruit trees are also extremely susceptible to fungal and bacterial growth, so it’s important to be able to spot that and remove the diseased area right away.
The best time to prune your trees is during late winter/early spring before the buds break and the trees are still dormant. First, remove all of the dead and diseased branches. Before pruning the rest of the tree, consider the shape of the different kinds of fruit trees. For example, a peach tree does best growing wider, so prune branches that are growing too long, so the sunlight can reach the whole area. Also, prune any limbs that are crossing or do not seem to be thriving. This will all help the tree give the most amount of delicious fruit. Happy pruning!