4 Reasons for Pruning

-Safety-Health-Aesthetics -Production

Strong Tree Framework

Balanced Renewal

Facilitate Management

Harvest Sunlight Efficiently

Maintain Productivity

What happens if you do not What happens if you do not prune?prune?

Faster growthEarlier fruiting

Less light penetration

Poor spray coverage

More difficult to manage

Crown Thinning Crown Thinning

Crown Reduction Crown Reduction

Establish a Strong Tree FrameworkEstablish a Strong Tree Framework

Vertical trunk

Well Distributed Scaffolds

Establish a Strong Tree FrameworkEstablish a Strong Tree Framework

Wide branch angles are stronger

Narrow angles are weak and increase shading inside canopy

A Strong Tree Framework:A Strong Tree Framework:

Major objective of the first three years

Must last the lifetime of the tree

Structural support for fruit crop

Should not be crowded

Harvest Sunlight Harvest Harvest Sunlight Harvest Efficiently:Efficiently:

Poor fruit color Poor fruit distribution

◦Less fruit bud developmentPoor fruit sizePoor fruit flavor

Poor Light Intensity Leads toPoor Light Intensity Leads to

Harvest Sunlight Efficiently:Harvest Sunlight Efficiently: Light Intensity Affects Fruit Color and Size

Harvest Sunlight Efficiently:Harvest Sunlight Efficiently: Light Intensity Affects Light Intensity Affects Fruit Color and SizeFruit Color and Size

Maintain Productivity:Maintain Productivity: Remove Unproductive WoodRemove Unproductive Wood

Fruiting wood which hangs down

Fruiting wood which is shadedWater sprouts and root suckersDiseased or damaged woodWeak or thin wood

Maintain Maintain Productivity:Productivity:

Remove Remove Unproductive Unproductive

WoodWood

◦Remove weak or thin wood

Maintain Productivity:Maintain Productivity: Maintain good Maintain good

vegetative:fruit balancevegetative:fruit balance

◦Thin out excessively vigorous vegetative growth during summer

◦Allows light into center of tree

Maintain Productivity:Maintain Productivity: Maintain good vegetative/fruit balanceMaintain good vegetative/fruit balance

Remove excessive fruiting woodIn peaches - remove 40-60% of new fruiting wood each year

Tools used in Tree TrainingTools used in Tree Training

Manipulation of apical Manipulation of apical dominancedominance

Controlled by the plant hormone auxin

Produced by actively growing shootsMoves down the branch with gravity

Effects of auxinEffects of auxin

Inhibits lateral bud break

Inhibits lateral shoot growth

Affects branch angle

PruningPruningRemove the Source of AuxinRemove the Source of Auxin

Heading CutHeading CutRemove part of the branch

Stimulate bud break near cut

Stimulate localized branching

PruningPruningRemove the Source of AuxinRemove the Source of Auxin

Thinning cutThinning cut

Remove branch at point of origin

Least invigorating cut

Promote light penetration into canopy

Maintenance pruning

Cutting Tools Cutting Tools

How to Cut How to Cut

Poor CutsPoor Cuts

Apple Tree Example Apple Tree Example

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN6zFEqscHQ