Fruit Tree Pruning Guide

Fruit Tree Pruning

Pruning is a very important part of proper fruit tree care, but many people find the task overwhelming. It doesn’t have to be! Keep these things in mind:

You can have confidence in knowing that not everyone will prune the exact same way (including the “experts”).
It is definitely best for your tree to do some pruning versus no pruning.
There are three main reasons you should prune your tree: its survival, stimulation and shaping.
If a fruit tree is left un-pruned, it will not grow well— and in some cases, may not grow at all.

Plan to prune and fertilize your fruit trees during every dormant season. View our fruit tree pruning essentials below.

10 o’clock pruning angle. Narrow, V-shape crotches are an open invitation to disastrous splitting later on, particularly when your tree is ripening with a large bumper crop. For your branches: choose wide 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock angles.

Fruit Thinning. The best time to thin fruit trees is within 20 to 40 days of full bloom. Space each fruit 6 to 8 inches apart on the branch. In clusters, leave the king bloom (the center bloom in the cluster of five flowers) as it will develop into the largest fruit.