Each change of season means different chores around the landscape. One important winter chore is taking care of fruit trees. The very best time to do this is between the dormant months of November and February. You can try it yourself or call on the Frontier Tree Service for help.
Why Winter?
Once the weather cools, fruit trees enter a dormant state, where most of its energy is stored in the trunk and center of the tree. It’s possible to remove branches and even large sections without affecting the health of the tree. When they begin to grow again in spring, they can develop new, vigorous shoots!
Why Do Fruit Trees Pruning?
Pruning is so important for proper fruit tree growth and production. It helps to determine the shape of the trees and keep them at a manageable size for harvesting. It also increases fruit production and helps to keep the trees healthy. Tree pruning promotes new, healthy growth and removes old, dead, diseased, and damaged limbs. It helps the tree to develop a strong framework to hold the weight of the fruit and opens up the canopy to allow light into lower branches. Light penetration is essential to flower bud development and also helps fruit to set properly.
Fruit Tree in need of pruning: it needs to be thinned to allow light in as well as shaped for better production.
How Do You Prune A Fruit Tree?
Pruning techniques can differ by species so it is best to do some research before attempting this on your own. Find out if your tree sets fruit on old wood or new wood as this will help determine where to making pruning cuts. You also need to determine how often your tree needs to be pruned and how severely to cut it back. By researching your tree types, you can learn a lot about their individual needs.
Note: Even young fruit trees need pruning! In fact, some of the most important pruning cuts are made in the first 5 years of a tree’s life, as it determines its lifelong shape.
Frontier Tree Service Can Help
Frontier Tree Service has experts on staff that understand the pruning needs of different varieties of fruit trees. We can work them into the shape and size you need, while increasing the health of the tree. Contact us today to consult about your trees.