How to Prune Fruit Trees in Summer
Summer pruning of your fruit trees is the best way to keep them small and manageable for the rest of the year. You want to keep your fruit trees neat and perfectly pruned to encourage growth and free from disease. Pruning your fruit trees in summer is not difficult and with a little patience you can easily get the job done.
Things Required:
– Loppers
– Pruning shears
– Pruning saws
– Ladder
– Gloves
– Goggles
Instructions
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1
Identify damaged areas
The first thing to do is to identify any damaged limbs of the fruit tree. You will easily be able to see what areas are damaged by the color of the limb and the way in which it is positioned. Make sure to first remove all of these broken or damaged limbs from your fruit trees. -
2
Center open
It is important to keep the center of the tree open. Be sure to prune the fruit trees so that enough sunlight can come through the center. -
3
Cut new growth
Be sure to cut or prune new growth after each summer season as this will encourage the tree to stay manageable throughout the year. Repeatedly cutting most of the new growth will limit the size of your fruit trees. -
4
Cut cross branches
If you see any branches that are crossing it is important to prune these. You should have a vase shaped container for most of the foliage. Take your time and only cut those branches that are over extending from the top. -
5
Cut small branches
Always try to cut small branches first as this will reduce the size of the wound and encourage healthy tree growth. Once you are done with the small limbs then move to the medium sized branches. -
6
Avoid damaging collar
While pruning the medium to large sized branches you should avoid damaging the growth collar. This is important as you want to encourage proper healing of the area. -
7
Take your time
While pruning it is always important to take your time and choose only those branches that need to be trimmed. Remember not to get overzealous and start sawing off everything from your fruit tree. Take a walk around the fruit tree and make sure that the pruning is balanced and that new growth areas are properly attended to. You can also talk to a professional landscaping expert or gardener for their advice on the best ways to prune a fruit tree.
