When Is the Best Time to Prune Fruit Trees?

By hooverhorticulture | June 6, 2022 |

Performing correct tree pruning at the right time of year can enhance the quality and quantity of your crop. Pruning is the best method to remove the dying and dead branches from the trees, making them strong enough to bear all those beautiful fruits without breaking. It is the ultimate standardized way to bountiful crops and healthy trees.

Pruning provides trees with a specific shape designed to be visually appealing within the landscape. Continue reading to explore some meaningful tips and techniques on fruit tree pruning.

When to Prune Fruit Trees?

The best time to prune fruit trees is late winter or early spring. Another best time for fruit tree pruning is during summer, around late July or August, but excessive pruning at this time will weaken the tree. Most trees don’t require pruning throughout the year once they are trained. But initial pruning is vital to help young trees to produce strong stems and open canopies. The reason why it’s essential is it enables the light and air to penetrate, promoting flowering and reducing fungal and bacterial diseases. Pruning during early winters may lead to winter injury if performed in severely cold temperatures.

How to prune fruit trees relies on some factors, including expectations, tree size, the purpose behind growing fruit trees, tree shape, and time to perform the task. Pruning trees to keep their natural aesthetic are pruned differently from that trees cultivated specifically for fruit growing. While thinking about your tree pruning, contact the professionals offering exceptional tree services in Sacramento. Also, they’ll give you proven tips on tree pruning.

Why Does Fruit Tree Pruning in Winter Encourages Growth?

Winters are the best time for fruit tree pruning, as the tree is dormant with no leaves, flowers, or fruit, making it easy for you to access the tree’s structure and make necessary cuts. Nonetheless, some orchardists avoid pruning fruit trees in early winters. Since the branch is minimal during that time and the trees can’t heal the wounds of pruning cuts, they avoid pruning during early winters. Late winters are an excellent time for fruit pruning, as you can see the tree’s structure feasibly, and due to the arrival of springs, the trees can heal the wounds caused by tree pruning.

Moreover, if you prune your tree in late winters or early springs, the trees will have a fast growth stimulation. The reason behind it is you have selected the best branches for the fruit while removing the low-quality branches. So, ultimately, your tree won’t have to focus on fueling poor-quality branches to grow. Instead, it will use its energy to encourage the growth of the best tree branches.

Why Does Fruit Tree Pruning in the Autumn Not Good?

If you live in an area having cold weather, autumn is not a good time to prune a fruit tree. Each time you cut a branch from a tree, you will leave a pruning wound which ultimately lowers its growth during fall.

Also, if you’re wondering when to prune diseased fruit trees, you can do this anytime throughout the year. It will be much easier during winters, as the tree’s branches are bare, making it easy for you to access the disease problems. However, if you wait till late winter, the wounds will quickly heal afterward. But if you suspect a diseased branch during winter and summer, cut it off instantly to avoid spreading it to other trees.

Unless you know how much is necessary to cut off and when is the perfect time for pruning, don’t try to do the pruning step yourself. Instead, call the specialists for tree pruning and tree trimming in Sacramento. They’ll diagnose potential problems in your trees and detect disease before any substantial damage occurs to your tree.