Essential Pruning Tips for Backyard Orchards and Other Fruiting Perennials

Before heading out the door to do the long-put-off task of pruning our fruit trees, I decided to give myself a quick refresher and share it with you, my friends.

Pruning Primer

1. Prune with a purpose. Today it’s about the health maintenance of the tree, increased fruit yield, keeping fruit within reach, allowing light and air into the interior of the tree.
2. Take mostly thinning cuts. Follow branches all the way back to parent branch or trunk and cut outside the branch collar. (Leave the wrinkly bit intact. This area is magical in its ability to close branch wounds.) Don’t leave stubs that allow pathogens a way in, or do flush cuts that are difficult to compartmentalize.
3. Take less than 25% of the total canopy. So I have to remember how much incidental pruning I’ve already done this year. Deadwood doesn’t count towards the 25%.
4. Read more here.

Tool Rules

Sanitize with some alcohol first then select the right tools for the job. I’m guilty of using the wrong tool for the branch diameter.

• Note: Only use bypass pruners and loppers, as anvil pruners crush and damage tissues.
• Hand Pruners: branches less than 1/4 inch in diameter.
• Loppers: branches less than 1/2 inch in diameter.
• Handsaw: For anything too big for loppers.

What I’m pruning now

• Grapes (I must remember to propagate some of the cuttings for my friend Susan.)
• Apple Trees/
• Elderberries
• Cane fruits: I have semi-erect variety called Triple Crown. Those I top at 5′ tall, cut laterals to 3′ long and remove dead, or spindly canes. Remove dead raspberry canes.

What I will prune in February

• Blueberries
• Roses

Do you have any pruning tips to share?

Let’s go! We’ve only got a few sunny days left before the rains come back. Meet you out there!

For more tips about fruit tree, cane, and rose pruning, check out my Pruning Primer.

Other stuff to do in January