Prunning fruit trees

[Sawyerfortyish]

When is the best time of year to prune an apple, peach,pear or plum? I have an apple tree that needs prunning bad. The buds are just starting to come out.

[beenthere]

Just before now, IMO.

But I would do it now, before it gets any more growth.

Are you spraying any dormant spray, or have you already?

[Sawyerfortyish]

I haven't sprayed yet.

[Furby]

I have been told that late fall was best, after the fruit and leves drop.
In this area they will start pruning in late fall and finish by late winter, well before the buds.
Now they may be doing different types of trees in the fall as compared to spring, I don't know, but they are all fruit trees.

[etat]

When I was going to school Mr. Ellis took us out several times about this time of the year to prune Fruit Trees and remove any dead limbs.  He'd take us to elderly people's houses in the community who wasn't able to prune theirs any more. He said either fall, or spring would do.  He'd watch and tell us exactly where he wanted us to make the cuts and how he wanted em done.  Lots of fun for a teacher Mr. Ellis was.

Once he took a bunch of us to a farm to tackle and cut some great big ole boar hogs.  Once we'd get em downed and hog tied he'd do the cutting. This was in the middle of the day mind ya and for some reason everybody at school either avoided or turned their noses up at us the whole rest of the day! ;D

[jerry-m]

What beenthere said,      I would go ahead and prune as soon as possible, should be ok...  Of course best time is when they are dormant... But you do what you have to do and don't worry about it...

Hey CK, Yeah I remember those hog cutting days in FFA Class... 2 or 3 first year kids wanting to impress the older guys would grab the hog and hold him for one of the older guys to do the cutting,someone would slap some black goop ( don't remember what it was) on the wound... What I didn't like was the dehorning of cattle, sometimes the blood would spurt up to 10 feet or so... Always got someone...

Jerry

[Timburr]

For rapid wound occlusion (callous formation) most broadleaved species are best pruned in late winter or early spring. In general, to prevent entry of disease, pruning should not be done between mid-March and the end of May (depending on your season) when the tree is flushing. It's resistance to infection is likely to be at a minimum during that period.
I don't know the generic pruning requirements of apple, but it has a wide sapwood band which will eventually heal it's wound. Heartwood is dead, won't heal and lets in more disease. So prune small.
You realise a heavy prune will put a lot of stress on the tree

[Sawyerfortyish]

Thanks guys but it sounds like the same conflict here that we have at our farm . Dad says prune now my brother says prune in the fall I say lets prune and get it done. We have about 20 differant fruit trees in the yard.

[asy]

Hey Sawyer,

if you haven't pruned last fall, then give them a light prune now, and prune again late next fall, then just keep to late fall.

If you are pruning fruit trees, you are also trying to prune to form. Try firstly to take the height out of the trees so that you can reach the fruit!!   ;)

Cut on the branch, just past a bud that's facing the way you want the tree to go. So, you are usually trying to broaden the tree out, then choose outward facing buds and cut just past them. Then the tree will broaden out, which is what you want.

You want the sun to basically be able to get into the tree. This will prevent overcrowding and ensure good fruit setting.

Hope this made some sense.

asy :D

[Phorester]

Timburr, I think, has the best answer.  We have several thousand acres of commercial fruit orchards in my area. Because it's such a big industry here, we've also had a fruit research labaratory here, sort of an Extension from our land Grant University, Virginia Tech,  since the 1940's.  Lots of research on pruning. The orchardists always prune in late winter.

Think about this.  There is no insects, fungi, bacteria, flying through the air to infect the new wounds.  The new wounds will heal very quickly with the first flush of growth in spring, which is always the time of fastest growth on trees.  As a result, the wounds will be open for the shortest time possible, creating the least amount of window for infection.

I'd opt to wait until next winter to prune.  Spend the the time between now and then learning good pruning techniques.

[Timburr]

Hi Sawer40ish
How much do you value your fruit trees? You can give them every chance or leave them to chance. A drastic prune now will reduce your harvest. Blossom buds form on last years growth. A light prune may suffice now, but only on terminal shoots, not on side twigs. The suface area open to infection is minimal and semi- hardened growth will quickly heal.
You have some good info here to make an educated assessment about what you want to do. I, personally, am with Phorester about leaving them and finding out more.

Phorester
Thanx for the acknowledgement. You have a valid point about insects, fungi etc being dormant in the winter.

Asy
Good techniques and reasons for pruning.

Good luck with your pruning ventures.

Tim