Fruit Tree Pruning
Fruit tree pruning is the act of selectively cutting and removing parts of the tree to promote healthy growth and get rid of dead or infected wood. Fruit tree trimming can involve entirely removing smaller branches and cutting others back. It can also involve the removal of new growth and even leaves.
Careful fruit tree pruning goes a long way in improving the health of the tree as well as its lifespan and productivity in terms of fruit yield. Good fruit tree trimming techniques can also protect the tree from future injury by training growth that avoids crotches or forks in the trunk. These spots where two branches grow out from the trunk tend to be weak and can easily split or collapse when weighed down by snow or ice or even the tree’s own fruit.
Essentially fruit tree pruning takes advantage of the tree’s own natural response to damage. This manipulation allows tree care professionals to facilitate the size, shape and fruit yield of a tree. It’s also important not to over prune or you will end up with a small amount of large fruit that has little flavor and doesn’t keep very well.
The simplest instruction on pruning is that branches should never cross or rub against each other and one of any branch pairs doing this should be removed.