Now is the time to prune your fruit trees

By Madyson Black

It’s pruning time once again. Pruning your fruit trees is important when it comes to having optimal fruit production and preventing disease. Whether you’ve had fruit trees for years, or are just getting started and planting your first trees, always make sure to research the species you are interested in and how they pollinate.

After the trees are planted, once they reach a height of around 24-36 imches, they should be pruned at the height of your choosing to create scaffolding branches. Scaffolding branches bear most of the weight of the emerging fruit.

Once the new growth begins, you can train these branches with clothespins. To do this, once the branches are 4-6 inches long, clamp the clothespins perpendicular to the trunk, which forces the branches away from the trunk and encourages the development of strong crotch angles. This helps to produce stronger branches that can bear more fruit weight. This is an optional practice, but be sure to remove the clothespins after the first year.

March is ideal for pruning because of the weather and temperature range. Try to avoid overlapping limbs as it can interfere with new growth and fruit production.

Another tip is to make sure you’ve got your pruning shears sharpened and any other materials you might want, such as a bucket or wheelbarrow for disposing cut limbs and branches or a ladder for hard to reach branches.

Another option you have is to thin out your fruit trees. Fruit load weight can often be too heavy for branches and the overall fruit quality and size can suffer as a result. Optimal fruit thinning time is around June, however, as long as it does no later than 60 days after blooming, your fruit trees should still exhibit the advantages of thinning in your next years’ harvest.

With proper care, maintenance and education you can have years and years of plentiful production. On the topic of trees, Guernsey SWCD’s tree seedling sale is running now until March 31. Call our office today at 740-489-5276 to have an order form mailed to you.

(Madyson Black is the district Program Administrator and education specialist with Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District. She can be reached at mepperson@guernseycounty.org or 740-489-5276 ext. 6892.)