Pruning fruit trees is an art that requires many rules to be followed. This not only affects the way of cutting, but also the appropriate time.
When should you prune a fruit tree?
The ideal time for pruning fruit trees varies depending on the type of fruit: apple and pear trees in winter, summer shoots in July-August. Sweet cherries should be cut at the end of June-July, sour cherries at the end of June-end of July, plums and apricots in July. Stone fruit, on the other hand, is pruned after the harvest in summer.
Winter cut
In general, fruit trees should be cut back when there is no vegetation, if possible, because at this time cuts heal better - and the lack of foliage means the person carrying out the cut can better see where exactly the scissors should be used. This can reduce the likelihood of cutting errors. However, fruit trees react very differently to pruning - pome and berry fruit tolerate pruning in winter much better than stone fruit, which is why the latter is better pruned in summer, if possible after the harvest.
Summer cut
When pruning in summer, you remove young shoots that you would cut away in winter anyway. Pruning early improves the exposure of the fruit tree crown and also ensures that the tree has more free energy for the formation of flower buds. In addition, strong-growing fruit trees, such as sweet cherries, can be limited in their growth by summer pruning. Summer pruning therefore has a positive influence on the fertility of the tree.
The right time for summer pruning
However, the right time is important here too: removing the tips of summer shoots too early, for example, causes the top bud to sprout again, with linear growth already being somewhat restricted. Nevertheless, such a shoot cannot mature in time before winter and would therefore have to be cut back again. Furthermore, the period in which leaf and wood buds can be converted into flower buds through targeted pruning is very limited. The following table provides you with an overview of the possible cutting times.
| Fruit | Best time for summer pruning |
|---|---|
| Apple | first half of July to second half of August |
| Pear | Early July to early August |
| Sweet cherry | End of June to second half of July |
| Sour cherry | End of June to end of July |
| Plum | first half of July to first half of August |
| Apricot | first half of July to the end of July |
The best cutting times for different types of fruit
Depending on the time of year pruning is carried out, it has an influence on the growth potential of the fruit tree in question. Fruit trees cut in summer generally have their growth limited, while species cut in winter are fueled. In this way, shoot growth can be regulated.
| Month | Fruit | Influence on growth |
|---|---|---|
| January | Apple, Pear | strong promotion of growth power |
| February | Apple, Pear | strong promotion of growth power |
| March | Apple, pear, sweet cherry, sour cherry, plum, apricot | Promotion of growth power |
| April | Peach | Reduction in vigor |
| May | Peach | Reduction in vigor |
| June | – | – |
| July | Sweet cherry | Reduction in vigor |
| August | Sweet and sour cherry, peach, apricot | Reduction in vigor |
| September | Sour cherry, plum | Reduction in vigor |
| October | – | – |
| November | Apple, Pear | strong promotion of growth power |
| December | Apple, Pear | strong promotion of growth power |
Tip
Unlike many other deciduous trees, fruit trees require training and then maintenance pruning during the first few years. This promotes the formation of fruit wood and keeps the crown light.