PV orchard aerial view 03

TRAINING AND PRUNING FRUIT TREES

Michael G. Janik

ISA Certified Arborist

www.michaelsapples.com

Training vs. Pruning

My Favorite Pruning Books

Right tool for the right

job

LoppersPrunersSaws

CleanSanitized

Sharp

Anvil vs. Bypass Shears

Pruning

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Firewood pruning ‘03

Firewood Pruning ‘04

Firewood Tree ‘05

Firewood Tree ‘08

Firewood Tree 2010

Shade Apple

Open to allow sunlight and

airflow

Starling Special

Dwarfing Rootstocks

Genetic Miniatures

Upright growth

Acute limb angles

Spring Bare root trees

Horizontal Scaffold Limbs

Scaffold limbs, fruiting shoots

HUH???

Need low, horizontal

scaffold limbs

Do not plant on easements

Garden,Orchard

orYard?

Topping x 3

Natural Target Pruning

Proper pruning cut, before

Proper pruning cut, after

Well-sealed pruning scar

Cut back to a branch or bud

Open to infection

Natural Target Pruning II

• Always cut back to a bud or branch• Always angle the cut away from

the bud• Choose growth direction

Angle cut away from bud

Select bud growth direction

Cut to a Branch, Bud, or Fruiting Spur

Apical Dominance

• Apical dominance is a tree’s response to a pruning cut

• All pruning cuts cause the same reaction in a tree

• Proper pruning uses apical dominance to shape trees

Apical Dominance

Size control using rootstocks

• Standard—25 ft and up• Semi-Dwarf or half-standard

– 8 to18 ft apples, pears– 15 to 20+ ft stone fruits (cherries, plums,

etc

• Genetic Dwarf/Miniatures—5-8 ft• Varietal vigor

Standard Semi-Dwarf

Dwarf Apple Tree (must be supported)

Easy access to harvest

Pruning Forms

forFruit Trees

Training a Horizontal Espalier

• Suitable for apples and pears• Recommend 24-16-16-16 inches• Opens tree to sunlight and air flow• Easy to prune• Easy access to spray, thin, and pick• Easily covered with bird netting• Aesthetically attractive

Pear espalier on south-facing wall

Training Anything’s Possible

1st Year Horizontal Espalier

Summer

Winter

before pruning

Winter after pruning

2nd Year Horizontal Espalier

Water sprouts and fruiting shoots

Water Sprouts After Pruning

Before

After

3rd Year Espalier

Apple Espaliers Third year

Mature Horizontal Espalier

Espalier Pear Ohio

Mature Horizontal espalier

End of Row

Apple Espalier early summer

PV Orchard 2005

Informal or Fan Espalier

Candelabra

Training a Fan Espalier

• Suitable for all fruits • Locate against a south facing wall or

as a hedge or fence• Easy to prune, easy to care for• Aesthetically beautiful

1st Year Fan Espalier

2nd Year Fan Espalier

Mature Fan Espalier

Plum Espalier

Renewing a plum espalier, before

Renewing a plum espalier, after

Training A Central Leader Tree

• Apples, Pears, plums, and cherries • Dwarf Pyramid or Pyramid• French Axe• Spindle Bush

1st Year

Training Horizontal Limb Growth

Training using Clothespins 1st year

2nd year, etc; before

2nd year, etc; after

2nd Year

2yr dwarf pyramid

pear

3rd and Subsequent Years

Cut out vigorous growth

Vigorous growth removed

Regrowth Next

Summer

Always remove one of any split

shoots

Split Trunk

Thin forked branch growth

Mature dwarf pyramid

Central leader pear in bloom

Semi-dwarf Central Leader

Supported French Axe

Central Leader Pears Oregon

Central Leader Pears

Summary

Training a Central Leader

Training an Open Center Tree

• Stone fruits, esp. peaches, nectarines

• Lowest limb 12-18 inches• 3-5 limbs at low angle form a vase

shape• Allows sunlight needed to ripen

fruit

Training an Open

Center Tree

1yr Open Center Cherry

2yr Open Center Cherry

Open Center oriental pear

Open center peach

Texas peach orchard

Texas peach tree

Peach tree at Monticello

Winter vs. Summer Pruning

• Winter (Dormant) Pruning– Promotes vegetative growth in the

spring– Use to train young trees

• (Late) Summer and Fall pruning– Reduces food storage in roots and

hence reduces tree growth in spring– Use on older, overgrown trees to open

and rejuvenate the tree.– Use to establish fruiting spurs

Restoring a Neglected Fruit Tree

Rejuvenating Neglected Trees

• Always– Remove dead, diseased, and damaged

wood– Remove crossing/rubbing branches– Remove water sprouts at limb junction – Remove suckers at the root junction

• Never– Remove more than 20% green wood

each year– Never fertilize

Arroyo 2004

Arroyo 2008

Arroyo Before After

90 yr old Delicious

Quincy, CA apple tree

Heading Back, Apple Tree, Quincy, CA

Standard pear

Apple

Before After

After After

2nd year 3rd year

Semi dwarf, before

Semi dwarf, after

Red Del 09 Before

Red Del 09 Before

Apple, before

Apple, after

Pruning for Fruit

• Apples and Pears– Spur bearing– Tip Bearing

• Plums and Cherries• Nectarines and Peaches

Pear flower buds on spurs

Peach flower on last year’s growth

Pruning for spur fruit

Fruiting spurs on mature tree

Renewal Pruning of Spurs

Pruning for Peaches & Nectarines

Peach flower and leaf buds

New and old growth on peach

Summary

• Apical Dominance• Cut to a branch or bud• Choose bud/growth direction• Training vs. Pruning

• References, Google It!• Buy a Pruning Book and Use It!