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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!