Pruning Fruit Trees
 

Hi Group,

I moved to a property that has several fruit trees, I'm in Australia by the
way, have pears, plums, apples and apricot trees.

What I'd like to know is, do I need to prune the fruit trees? and how often
should that be done? and what is the best way to prune them?

It is Autumn downunder and most of the leaves are now off the trees and they
do look rather straggly looking.

Thank you


Linda

On Wed, 27 Apr 2005 08:09:09 GMT, Linda Hardy wrote:

Hi Group,

I moved to a property that has several fruit trees, I'm in Australia by the
way, have pears, plums, apples and apricot trees.

What I'd like to know is, do I need to prune the fruit trees? and how often
should that be done? and what is the best way to prune them?

It is Autumn downunder and most of the leaves are now off the trees and they
do look rather straggly looking.

Thank you

Linda

Once a year. If the trees are looking overgrown and crowded they could use
a thinning out. By the sounds of it yours could do with a clearing cut.
Once you've done that, you only need a light trim each year to keep the
crown clear.

Apple and pears are relatively easy.
Cut out all branches that cross or are damaged or diseased and all
those that are growing inwards. Cut off all the thin twigs going
straight up or down. That should have opened up the tree a fair
amount. This lets light and air and sunshine into the fruit and helps
reduce infections and lets the sunlight into the ripening fruit.
Do this during the dormant phase, after the leaves have dropped, before the
new buds burst. Anytime from now on, really.
The old adage here is that if you stand under the apple/pear tree you
should be able to throw a hat up through it and it shouldn't get stuck.
Don't be shy about cutting them back too far, they will regrow with vigour.

The apricot trees are a bit more touchy, probably best to do in Summer
after they have flowered when the fruit is setting, so you can see which is
the flowering growth.
This also reduces the fruit load so the tree produces better fruit. They'll
also bleed a little, which washes out fungal spores and infections from the
wounds.
They flower and fruit on 3 year old wood, so unless you have almost no
flowers it might be best to only cut out 1/3 of each years's growth. The
fruiting wood needs a bit of protection from the direct sun and (unlikely
for you, hard frosts) so don't trim them too much, leave a decent amount of
growth to shade the trunk.
If it is flowering well enough then I'd leave it alone, perhaps just a
light tidy up of dead/damaged and crossing branches now, then see how it
flowers in the Spring.
Apricots flower before their leaves appear.

--
Tim C.

"Tim Challenger" wrote in message
news:1114599680.890c965af0c8b37126e7e1255d8b4285@t eranews...
On Wed, 27 Apr 2005 08:09:09 GMT, Linda Hardy wrote:

Hi Group,

I moved to a property that has several fruit trees, I'm in Australia by
the
way, have pears, plums, apples and apricot trees.

What I'd like to know is, do I need to prune the fruit trees? and how
often
should that be done? and what is the best way to prune them?

It is Autumn downunder and most of the leaves are now off the trees and
they
do look rather straggly looking.

Thank you

Linda

Once a year. If the trees are looking overgrown and crowded they could use
a thinning out. By the sounds of it yours could do with a clearing cut.
Once you've done that, you only need a light trim each year to keep the
crown clear.

Apple and pears are relatively easy.
Cut out all branches that cross or are damaged or diseased and all
those that are growing inwards. Cut off all the thin twigs going
straight up or down. That should have opened up the tree a fair
amount. This lets light and air and sunshine into the fruit and helps
reduce infections and lets the sunlight into the ripening fruit.
Do this during the dormant phase, after the leaves have dropped, before
the
new buds burst. Anytime from now on, really.
The old adage here is that if you stand under the apple/pear tree you
should be able to throw a hat up through it and it shouldn't get stuck.
Don't be shy about cutting them back too far, they will regrow with
vigour.

The apricot trees are a bit more touchy, probably best to do in Summer
after they have flowered when the fruit is setting, so you can see which
is
the flowering growth.
This also reduces the fruit load so the tree produces better fruit.
They'll
also bleed a little, which washes out fungal spores and infections from
the
wounds.
They flower and fruit on 3 year old wood, so unless you have almost no
flowers it might be best to only cut out 1/3 of each years's growth. The
fruiting wood needs a bit of protection from the direct sun and (unlikely
for you, hard frosts) so don't trim them too much, leave a decent amount
of
growth to shade the trunk.
If it is flowering well enough then I'd leave it alone, perhaps just a
light tidy up of dead/damaged and crossing branches now, then see how it
flowers in the Spring.
Apricots flower before their leaves appear.

--
Tim C.

Hi Tim,

Wow what a great response thank you, one particular apple tree is leaning
over quite a bit, I think the top of it is too heavy but now that I know
what to look for will prune it back and hopefully get plenty of apples and
other fruit next season.

Thank you

Linda

"Linda Hardy" wrote
I moved to a property that has several fruit trees, I'm in Australia by
the
way, have pears, plums, apples and apricot trees.

What I'd like to know is, do I need to prune the fruit trees? and how
often
should that be done? and what is the best way to prune them?

It is Autumn downunder and most of the leaves are now off the trees and
they
do look rather straggly looking.


Take a look at...
http://www.lofthouse.com/apple/neglect.html

And even more Info and on pruning old trees too.....
http://www.which.net/gardeningwhich/advice/techniques/factsheets/applepruning.pdf#search='Pruning%20apples'


--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...

"Linda Hardy" wrote
I moved to a property that has several fruit trees, I'm in Australia by
the
way, have pears, plums, apples and apricot trees.

What I'd like to know is, do I need to prune the fruit trees? and how
often
should that be done? and what is the best way to prune them?

It is Autumn downunder and most of the leaves are now off the trees and
they
do look rather straggly looking.


Take a look at...
http://www.lofthouse.com/apple/neglect.html

And even more Info and on pruning old trees too.....

http://www.which.net/gardeningwhich/advice/techniques/factsheets/applepruning.pdf#search='Pruning%20apples'

Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

Thanks for the links Bob, not sure how old these fruit trees are but they
are in a bit of a mess.

Linda