Trimming fruit trees in winter is an essential task for any backyard gardener looking to maintain healthy, productive trees. Proper winter pruning encourages new growth, improves fruit quality and yield, and helps control the shape and size of trees. While it may seem daunting, winter fruit tree pruning is not difficult if you understand the basics. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about trimming fruit trees in winter.
Why Trim Fruit Trees in Winter?
There are a few key reasons to prune fruit trees during the winter months:
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Trees are dormant. Pruning during winter causes less stress to the tree since there is no active growth
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Better disease and pest prevention. Pruning eliminates overcrowded branches, opening up the canopy to increased sunlight and airflow. This helps reduce conditions favorable to disease and pests
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Encourages new growth, Winter pruning stimulates the development of new fruiting wood that will bear fruit in future seasons
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Maintains size and shape. Pruning controls overall tree size and maintains desired tree shape and structure.
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Improves fruit quality and yield. With proper pruning and thinning, the tree’s energy can be focused on producing fewer, higher quality fruits.
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Easier to see branch structure. When trees have lost their leaves, it’s easier to assess and prune the overall branch structure.
When to Trim Fruit Trees in Winter
The timing of winter pruning depends on your specific climate:
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In mild winter climates, prune in late winter just before spring growth begins.
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In cold winter climates, prune in early to mid-winter after chances of a damaging freeze have passed.
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Avoid pruning during autumn when trees are going dormant or during spring after growth has started.
It’s generally best to prune most fruit trees like apples, pears, plums, cherries, etc. in late winter to early spring. However, stone fruits like apricots, peaches, and nectarines are best pruned in early to mid summer to avoid disease.
Fruit Tree Pruning Tools
Having the right pruning tools makes the job safer and easier. Essential tools include:
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Bypass hand pruners for small branches up to 1⁄2 inch diameter
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Loppers for branches up to 1 1⁄2 inch diameter
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Pruning saw for large branches over 1 1⁄2 inches
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Pole pruners for high branches
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Ladder for reaching the tops of tall trees
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Safety goggles and gloves
Be sure to keep tools clean and sharp. Sterilize tools regularly with rubbing alcohol to prevent disease transmission.
How to Trim Fruit Trees in Winter – Step by Step
Follow these steps for proper winter fruit tree pruning:
1. Remove Dead, Diseased, and Damaged Branches
The first priority is to remove all branches that are dead, diseased, or damaged. Look for:
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Dead branches with no healthy buds or leaves
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Broken, split, or otherwise injured branches
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Branches with signs of disease like cankers or rot
Pruning out these problem branches first improves tree health and prevents disease spread.
2. Eliminate Crossing, Crowded, and Low-Hanging Branches
Next, look to remove branches that are:
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Rubbing or crossing other branches
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Growing back toward the center of the tree
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Crowding other branches or growing too densely
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Extending too far down the trunk
Thinning crowded areas opens up the canopy to light and air circulation. Removing inward-facing branches prevents rubbing and damage. Cutting low branches prevents obstruction and creates a cleaner trunk.
3. Cut Out Water Sprouts and Suckers
Water sprouts are fast growing vertical shoots that develop along the tops of branches. Suckers are shoots that emerge from the base of grafted trees below the graft union.
Water sprouts and suckers divert energy away from fruit production, provide entry points for disease, and negatively impact tree shape and structure. Prune them off entirely whenever they appear.
4. Set Overall Tree Structure and Shape
Step back and look at the tree’s overall form. Are there areas that need thinning or branches that should be shortened or removed entirely to create desired tree shape and size?
Remove competing central leaders to establish a dominant leader. On young trees, select 3-5 main scaffold branches evenly spaced around the trunk. Over time, continue pruning to reinforce the tree’s structure.
5. Make Proper Pruning Cuts
Wherever you remove a branch, it’s vital to make a proper pruning cut:
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Cut just outside the branch collar, the swollen area where the branch meets the trunk.
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Angle the cut down and away from the trunk about 1⁄4 inch beyond the branch collar.
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Avoid leaving branch stubs or making flush cuts that damage the branch collar.
Properly angled cuts encourage quick healing. Never use paint or sealant on wounds, as this can slow healing.
How Much to Prune Fruit Trees in Winter
As a general rule, limit pruning to no more than 25% of the tree’s total canopy per year. Removing too much will stress the tree. Focus on maintaining tree health, improving structure, and encouraging fruit production.
Younger trees need less pruning to shape early structure. Mature, established trees mainly require thinning cuts to stimulate new fruiting wood. Monitor your tree’s response and adjust your pruning accordingly.
Special Considerations by Fruit Type
While the same general pruning principles apply to most fruit trees, there are a few additional tips for specific fruits:
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Apples and pears: Maintain a central leader and open vase shape. Prune to outward facing buds.
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Stone fruits: Favor an open vase system for better sunlight exposure. Avoid heavy pruning, as this invites disease.
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Figs: Limit pruning to remove dead wood and shape as needed. Avoid heavy pruning.
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Citrus: Prune mainly to remove dead wood. Prune after fruit harvest and before spring bloom.
Winter is the optimal time to prune most fruit trees, allowing them to recover and produce their best harvests in future seasons. Follow these tips for trimming fruit trees in winter:
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Prune when trees are fully dormant in late winter/early spring
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Remove all dead, diseased, damaged, and problematic branches first
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Eliminate water sprouts, suckers, and inward/downward facing branches
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Thin areas of dense growth to improve air circulation
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Make proper angled pruning cuts just outside the branch collar
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Limit pruning to no more than 25% of the total tree canopy
With the right approach and tools, pruning your fruit trees in winter doesn’t have to be intimidating. A well-timed trim will keep trees healthy and bountiful for years to come.
Why prune fruit and nut trees?
- Pruning reduces overall tree size, keeping them small enough to safely manage in the garden.
- Pruning makes trees easier to spray and harvest.
- Pruning young trees can improve structural strength and induce branching.
- Pruning mature trees can increase their production and improve fruit quality.
- Pruning reduces the need to prop up fruit-laden branches.
Figure 1. Common terms used in pruning and training fruit trees. Credit: Page Biersdorff, © Oregon State University
Branch collar — The raised tissue at the base of every branch. It contains specialized cells that seal off pruning wounds from wood rot fungi. Pruning to the branch collar makes it unnecessary to apply wound dressings.
Crotch angle — The angle formed between the trunk and a limb. The strongest crotch angle is 45–60 degrees.
Crown — The base of the trunk where the tree meets the soil.
Heading (or head cut) — A pruning cut that removes only part of a branch at some point along its length.
Lateral branch — A side shoot off of another branch, usually at a more horizontal angle.
Leader — The uppermost portion of a scaffold limb. In a central-leader-trained tree, only one leader is left in the center of the tree. Multiple-leader-trained trees usually have three to five leaders per tree.
Scaffold limb — A large limb that forms the framework of a tree.
Shoot — The length of branch growth in one season. The bud scale scars (ring of small ridges) on a branch mark the start of a season’s growth. The terminal bud marks the end.
Spur — A short shoot that produces flowers and fruits.
Stub — A short portion of a branch left after a pruning cut. Avoid leaving stubs.
Sucker sprout — A 1-year-old shoot that grows from the root.
Terminal — The end of any shoot.
Thinning cut — A pruning cut that removes an entire branch from its point of origin.
Vertical branch — A branch that grows upright.
Water sprout — A 1-year-old shoot that grows within the tree.
Save the branch collar, and don’t use wound dressings
Prune so that you don’t leave a stub (Figure 2), and also so that you don’t make a wound larger than necessary (as occurs with a “flush cut,” line A). Cut just outside the branch collar (line B, the raised tissue at the base of every branch). Its specialized cells seal off pruning wounds from wood rot fungi. See the video Pruning with the pros — collars and ridges.
There’s no clear evidence that wound dressings reduce wood rots in pruning wounds. Early tree training helps you avoid large pruning wounds low in the tree, which might become infected.
How To Winter Prune Fruit Trees For Maximum Fruit Production & Tree Health!
FAQ
What branches do you prune fruit trees?
First, identify the branches growing downward. Then prune them since they won’t be able to bear the weight of the fruit. Additionally upward growing branches may damage other branches so prune them as well. Also prune any branches growing inward so that they don’t rub against other branches.
When not to trim fruit trees?
And yet, some orchardists avoid fruit tree pruning in the early winter. This is because in the early winter, branch growth is minimal, and the tree cannot heal the wounds caused by pruning cuts. Late winter, however, is an excellent time to prune your trees.
How do I take care of my fruit trees in the winter?
- Clean up around the trees, removing all fallen fruit and dead leaves.
- Refrain from fertilizing in the fall.
- Do not over prune.
- Apply a pest barrier.
- Mulch around the trees.
- Paint the trunks white and create tree guards.
- Keep the trees well-watered.
- Harvest any lingering fruits.
Should you prune a fruit tree in the winter?
Prune fruit trees in the winter. In the winter, your fruit tree is dormant (and therefore not producing any leaves or fruit). This makes it easier to target the areas you want to prune and promotes the best production possible. Most fruit trees are best pruned during winter.
What is fruit tree pruning?
Leveraging Fruit Tree Pruning for a Balanced Composting Approach: The conscientious utilization of pruning from fruit-bearing trees including varieties like apple, pear and apricot, represents an intricate dance between nature’s rhythms and sustainable farming practices.
When should you prune a fruit tree?
Proper pruning can help to remove diseased and damaged branches, improve the tree’s structure, and promote better fruit production. The best time for pruning fruit trees is in January to early March, before the tree starts to bud out. Later in the spring is better, especially with peaches.