Spring Pruning

Some trees and bushes are best pruned when they are dormant - so from February to April. Here are a few pictures of some backyard apple trees that have not been pruned in several years. Apple trees should really be pruned every or every other year to maintain good fruit production and to keep the tree healthy. If there are too many branches then the tree wastes nutrients being sent to branches it doesn't need. By keeping it pruned up nice every year, the tree wastes no nutrients and just gets them to blossoms and apples that we (the human) want from it.

In this picture you notice the upright suckers that grow each year. These suckers are about 4-6 years old (you can tell by counting the rings).

Here is the same grove with the suckers cut off. This tree had to be cut back dramatically because there were some dead branches, some branches that touched one another, and some with fungus growing on them. The tree should have evenly spaced branches that expand horizontally for good air flow over fruit to prevent fungal and bacterial infections, and ease of harvest.


There you have it, apple pruning in a nutshell. Its also the time of year to prune blueberries. If you need us to come out and prune for you, email us and we'll be in contact with you.

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