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Pruning Fruit Trees |
The ideal time to prune a fruit tree if you want it to produce the maximum amount of fruit is when the tree is dormant, and not growing, or hardly growing at all.This is normally in early spring, which is the time just before the first growth spurt. Good pruning at this time will ensure that the conditions are right for growth, give more space for those extra leaves and branches, and also remove old wood that is still sapping some of the tree's life force. If you have a fruit tree that is growing out of control, it can also be pruned in the summer, and so removing the growing branches. This can be necessary for plants such as commercial plum, where branches can become so laden with fruit, that they break off under their own weight. Clearly, this is not a healthy situation for a living organism - it's very traumatic.
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First of all, it's a great idea to remove the obviously dead wood. It's not doing any good, inhibits growth and takes up vital juices need to promote new growth. This is probably the easiest part of fruit tree pruning, as it's easy to see the difference between an old branch and a new, productive one. Cut away any branches that touch each other, or cross over each other in any way. The individual branches need room to grow, access to the air and also need to benefit from as much sunlight as possible. Sharp pruning shears can be used for thinner branches, but a sharp pruning saw is best for mature trees. Both types of cutters can be found in a mechanised form - shears are often driven by compressed air, and saws can be electric, pneumatic or driven by a small petrol engine. Remove those vertical branches by cutting near the joint where it joins a horizontal, or just above a bud, cutting backwards at about thirty degrees. A clean cut is essential, so make sure those cutters are kept sharp. It will also speed up the process, sharp cutters will ensure that an unsightly torn stub is not left behind after the cut. It's desirable to have mostly horizontal branches left, or mainly at low angles rising from the horizontal, as these are the branches that are most fruitful. A good tree pruning video helps to highlight the essentials. Vertical branches should be eliminated, within reason, depending upon the tree being pruned - there are a few exceptions, but for most common fruit trees such as apple and peach follow this rule, and let that sunlight in! If there branches hanging down towards the ground, cut those back also, as they are not very productive. If there is a glut of branches at the top of the tree, cut them back to give space and more light in. Cutting off some of these top most branches, particularly if they are tending toward the vertical, will make the tree bushier, more atractive and more productive.
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