This Is the Best Time to Prune Fruit Trees for Abundant Yields and Delicious Harvests

Cultivating fruit trees in your garden is incredibly fulfilling. They offer tasty, fresh fruit throughout the growing season and produce fragrant flowers that attract beneficial pollinators. Moreover, they add charm to your landscape and provide shade during hot days.

However, regular pruning is essential to ensure the health and productivity of your fruit trees. Pruning has various advantages, including boosting fruit production, improving fruit quality, maintaining the tree's size, removing dead or diseased branches, allowing more sunlight to reach the foliage, and enhancing structural strength.

While pruning is essential, the timing of your pruning matters greatly. In fact, when you prune your fruit trees impacts their health and longevity significantly. Ahead, seasoned fruit tree growers discuss the best times for pruning fruit trees and provide helpful tips to maximize yield.

When to Prune Fruit Trees

The best time to prune most fruit trees is during their dormant season, typically around late winter or early spring and before bud break. David Fried, owner of Elmore Roots Fruit Tree Nursery, says to prune fruit trees in March, just before they produce new growth. The pruning cuts will heal the fastest during this time, and there is less chance of spreading diseases through pruning wounds.

"If you prune earlier in the winter, the winds, snow, and ice may prune your tree further after you are done, causing unwanted harm," says Fried. He adds that March pruning will help clean up any damage caused by winter weather conditions.

Prune Fruit Trees Annually

Mary Godinez, owner of Cross Keys Farm, recommends pruning fruit trees every year, starting from the moment they are planted. "A common myth is that fruit trees should be left to grow on their own for several years before beginning to prune them," she says. This approach can hinder their growth, result in misshapen trees, make training them more difficult, and delay fruit production.

In addition to yearly pruning, Godinez advises against allowing fruit trees to flower or bear fruit until they have reached their full size. "Letting them produce fruit too early can hinder their growth and cause permanent stunting."

When to Avoid Pruning Fruit Trees

There are certain times of year when you should never prune fruit trees, as doing so leaves them more vulnerable to pests and diseases.

In Late Spring or Early Summer

Avoid pruning fruit trees in late spring or early summer when disease organisms are most active. The wounds created by cutting are more likely to be infected by pathogens during these times of year.

For example, apples and pears should never be pruned in summer because they are prone to fire blight, a bacterial disease that attacks new growth. "The disease releases spores into the air during rain events and enters the tree through fresh cuts that have been made prior to the rain," says Godinez. Bees transport the disease from tree to tree through the pollen they gather as they feed.

In Fall

Fall pruning is generally discouraged as it can cause the tree to produce new growth that may not have time to harden off before the cold weather rolls in. Pruning trees in dormancy allows the wounds to heal better and decreases the chance of disease spread.

During a Drought

Experts also recommend avoiding pruning live branches during periods of drought. Fruit trees can become stressed when water is limited, and pruning can further stress the tree, making it more vulnerable to diseases and pest infestations.

Fruit Tree Pruning Tips

Keep these fruit tree pruning tips in mind for increased yield and overall plant health.

Make Precise Cuts

When pruning, Fried says to ensure all cuts are smooth and clean by using a sharp saw. You should be able to see the branch collar, the swollen, raised area where a branch meets the trunk or another branch. Make the pruning cuts just outside this collar, approximately 1/4 inch away from the trunk. "Never make cuts that are flat against the trunk, and do not leave any branch stubs," Fried says.

Remove Dead Wood

Dead wood can be pruned at any time of year, according to Fried. However, it's crucial not to remove more than one-fifth of the tree's growth during any pruning session, even in March, as this could be too much for the tree to recover from.

Pruning Needs Vary

How often and when you prune your tree varies depending on the type you're growing. "Even though cherries, plums, and peaches belong to the 'prunus' family, they don't require regular pruning," says Fried. "These fruit varieties only need to be pruned when they have broken branches, as pruning can expose them to various pathogens that affect these trees more severely than they affect apple or pear trees."