Prune Like a Pro: Your Guide to Pruning Fruit Trees in Edmonton
Is there anything quite like walking into your backyard and picking a fresh, juicy apple off your own tree? There really isn’t anything better. Not only is there the pride of growing your own fruit that you didn’t have to buy at the store, but it tastes sweeter because you poured love and a whole lot of effort into keeping that tree healthy. You get to reap the rewards of your labour, but there are some challenges that you need to learn to overcome for next year.
While everything was easy and perfect during your first year of harvesting your fruit, you now learn that there are some steps that you need to be successful for the coming year, and that starts with the crucial step of pruning fruit trees. Your Edmonton arborist will give you all the info you need to feel comfortable pruning apple trees or any other fruit tree.
Why Do I Need to Prune My Fruit Tree?
Like yourself, your tree also needs a little trimming from time to time. The question on everyone’s mind is why? There are a few reasons why you will want to prune your fruit tree, and it all comes down to the tree’s health. Pruning becomes essential to encourage the growth of your tree to have a strong structure. When your tree has a good foundation and strong structure, it can lead to high-quality fruit and overall yield. Tree pruning is also essential in preventing disease due to increasing the airflow and sunlight exposure for your tree. In addition to preventing disease, you can also easily remove it with proper pruning and removing damaged branches.
Timing Is Everything
The question on a lot of people’s minds is when should I be pruning fruit trees? If you own a fruit tree or want one in your yard, you should know that certain times of the year are ideal for pruning your tree. Due to Edmonton’s climate with harsh winters and hot summers, the best time to prune your tree is late winter or early spring (February to April).
This time is ideal because the tree is still dormant, and new growth has yet to start. This lowers the risk of you unintentionally trimming a piece of your tree that will produce fruit. The timing from February to April will also minimize the stress on your tree and significantly reduce the risk of disease.
What About Tools?
Having the right tools is the most important part, so let’s get real. Here’s what you will need when you start pruning fruit trees.
- Pruning shears
- Loppers
- Pruning saw
- Sterilizing solution
It’s important to know that after you’re done pruning fruit trees, you must sterilize your tools with the sterilizing solution. We really want to stress the need to sterilize your tools between uses.
How to Make Proper Cuts
There are a few steps you will want to follow when pruning fruit trees. Remember that trimming trees and shrubs is different from pruning fruit trees. Fruit trees require a little more patience and specific snips to ensure you will get the best results for your tree.
- The three d’s: Dead, diseased, and damaged wood will need to be removed to make way for healthy growth. Cut down any broken or dead branches to the nearest healthy wood.
- Cut out overcrowding: Any branches that cross over each other or are growing inward should be pruned to allow for better air circulation.
- Shape the tree: It’s essential that your tree can get the most sunlight possible, and when pruning fruit trees, you should have an open canopy. This can be achieved by cutting back vertical shoots and getting horizontal branch growth.
- Size matters: Being able to easily pick the fruit of your tree without using a ladder is contingent on the height of your tree. Light pruning on the top can make harvesting more manageable.
Avoid These Mistakes
There are some pretty common mistakes you will want to avoid when pruning fruit trees. It’s nothing that you are specifically doing wrong. Whether you’re experienced with pruning trees and shrubs or just starting out on this adventure, people make mistakes. It’s human nature.
Some things that you can avoid when pruning fruit trees include:
- Over-pruning: You will want to avoid over-pruning your trees. Take a little bit off at a time. A good rule is not to remove more than 25% of your fruit trees’ canopy. Anymore can put stress on the tree, and buds could break.
- Topping: Avoid cutting the top of your tree off. We know it sounds silly to say that, but topping will lead to weak regrowth and sun damage.
- Pruning outside of season: It can be difficult to trudge out in the snow and prune your tree during an Edmonton, Alberta, winter. But if you prune your tree in the late spring or summer. Pruning at this time will reduce the bounty of your fruit.
Types of Fruit Trees That Need Pruning
Whether your tree is already established in your home or you’re looking for a “pruning fruit trees for beginners” guide because you want one, it’s good to know what types of fruit trees need to be pruned.
- Apple Tree
- Pear
- Cherry
- Peach
- Plum
- Apricot
- Citrus
- Fig
Not only is having fruit on demand in your own backyard a huge bonus, but it also enhances the aesthetics of your home.
Ready to Start?
Prune a little, avoid pruning too much, and enjoy that fruit! It’s Trusty Tree Services’ words to live by when it comes to pruning fruit trees. You’ll make a mistake along the way, and we don’t want you to be stressed out about that fact. We all make them, and it’s okay when you’re learning a new skill, like pruning fruit trees. If you take away anything from this article, it’s that you want to do your pruning in the spring to avoid buds breaking, allow the tree to get sunlight with shaping, and don’t do your pruning in the summer.
The result of pruning your fruit trees will pay off in delicious fruit that drips pride into your mouth with every bite. Worried about doing fruit tree pruning yourself? No problem! Trusty Tree Services can trim, prune, remove, and even plant a tree for you.
Give us a call today to get started!