Pruning fruit trees not rocket science

Have you pruned your fruit trees yet? If not, it's time to do so. Fruit trees benefit from yearly pruning throughout their productive life span.

It's difficult to describe the pruning process in writing. Each tree has individual characteristics making it nearly impossible to generalize. And there are multiple approaches. Most are valid and dependent on individual preferences.

I'll provide you a theoretical discussion on pruning in this column and then invite you to my pruning demonstration at
8:30 a.m. Saturday at the Springs Preserve at 333 S. Valley View Blvd. There you can watch as we discuss the principles of fruit tree pruning in a fun way. Russ Harrison does the demonstration Jan. 8.

Ideally, you want to prune just before bud break each spring so callusing and formation of wound-wood occurs rapidly over pruning cuts. Pruning is also critical in maintaining a tree's vigor and training it to keep it in the best possible shape. If you overprune, the tree responds vigorously, meaning you'll be pruning more next time.

Pruning is not rocket science. First, you need good, clean, sharp tools: hand pruners, loppers and a pruning saw. Before pruning, clean your tools in a 10 percent bleach solution to avoid transmitting diseases between trees especially if pruning diseased trees. Wearing gloves is also a good practice especially if your tools are sharp.

There are two strategies for pruning fruit trees: "open center" and "central leader" systems. We find open centers work best. It creates a broad vase-shaped canopy allowing sunlight to reach the plant's interior and improve air circulation. This brings about stronger branches, higher quality fruit and reduces potential pest troubles. It also helps control the height of your tree.

Yearly prunings keep trees producing and in shape with minimal work. On the other hand, seldom-pruned trees generate pruning problems difficult to remedy.

Sometimes neglected fruit trees require extensive pruning. In these situations, address the most crucial problems first and leave the less important issues to prune later. Prune out crossing and inwardly growing branches. As a general rule, never remove more than one-third of the canopy in any given year.

There are two kinds of pruning cuts: heading and thinning cuts. We make a heading cut at the tip of a branch to encourage branching below that point to cause new buds to develop new branches.

Thinning cuts remove side branches (not tips) to open up the tree's crown. Remember we want sunlight to penetrate the center of the tree. In my experience, 90 percent of pruning is thinning cuts.

Next, understand where fruit forms on the tree. Peaches, nectarines and figs produce fruit on the previous year's wood. Apple, pears, apricots, plums and cherries produce fruit on short spurs for a number of years. In general, peaches and nectarines need more aggressive yearly pruning than spur fruiting types.

Ideally, we'll never remove large branches if we prune our trees correctly each year. We also want to know exactly what we are doing at all times and having to remove a large branch will never be a problem.

However, if you must remove a large branch, do not prune it flush to the trunk. Focus your attention to where branches attach to the tree. Notice a collar or swollen area wrapped around the branch? Make the cut so the collar remains on the tree. Within that collar are all the hormones necessary to heal the wounds quickly.

This is old news but worth repeating. Do not use sealants to cover pruning cuts; they cause decay under the sealant. We humans want to put ointment over our wounds but trees have their own built-in healing mechanism to heal their wounds.

I could continue with more techniques, but instead here are some things to think about: Never make a cut without a good reason. Try to understand how trees grow and where they produce fruit. Finally, to get the straight scoop, attend my pruning workshop Saturday. We will also cover fertilization.

RECYCLE YOUR CHRISTMAS TREES

Now that Christmas is over, recycle your tree or give it as a gift to our community. Turn your tree into valuable organic mulch for our parks to help conserve water and keep plants healthy. You'll find a drop-off site near you by visiting www.cdsn.org or calling 895-3760 before Jan. 16. Remove all foreign objects from the tree that may damage the chipper. Flocked trees cannot be recycled.

Linn Mills writes a garden column each Sunday. You can reach him at linn.mills@ springspreserve.org or 822-7754.