Summer fruit tree pruning

I seem to always be talking about pruning! Without a doubt it is a constant, there is no such thing as a set and forget fruit tree, that is for sure.

You will have seen aggressive sky-high growth with the fruit trees over the last months and now that the fruit has ripened (in many places, but not here yet, we still have quite a few weeks, if not months before that happens) you can look at cutting some of that down.

First remove suckers – as low as possible to the ground
And any branches that are scrapping along the ground
Then shortening everything by cutting away the long verticals, you won’t miss those, I am sure.

While you are there, if you see and broken, crossed or diseased branches, they can go as well. 

Of course, pruning at this time of the year means it is impossible to see what you are doing and cutting, it can be a real jungle tangle, so don’t worry about too much detail, that can all be looked at during the winter prune. For now, just focus on the height, bringing it down to be more manageable. 

Also remember to always use sharp tools and clean them with methylated spirits or bleach.

And just in summery

Summer pruning
Inhibit growth to maintain its size and shape

Winter pruning
Promotes vigorous growth for spring

Enjoy!

Peter