10 Reasons Why You Should Prune Fruit Trees

Most fruit trees and berries require very little pruning in order to achieve the gardener’s goal. Practicing simple pruning techniques, the right pruning tools, along with proper timing for the plant species is usually all that’s necessary. But before taking any sharp tools to your plants, you should understand exactly what those goals are and why you’re pruning them in the first place.

Remember that every cut made will alter the plant’s shape and growth. In fact, the list below addresses the many reasons that any tree or shrub should be pruned in the yard or garden. Let’s take a look at ten great reasons for pruning your fruit trees, berry plants, and other tree species.

Why You Should Practice Pruning Fruit Trees and Berries

Vigor – Pruning a growing shoot stimulates new growth production. So if you’re looking for some vigorous new growth on a shrub, prune it hard (a lot). Consider this type of pruning when you have a shrub that has a weak section of growth; such as the back. In fact, when you “pinch” back new growth with your fingers on any plant, you’re actually pruning.

Shape – Plants that have grown out of balance with either the yard or their own growing pattern (such as stray and awkward branches) can be reshaped by pruning.

Restrict a Plant’s Size – This can be especially important if you live in an area with restricted space. Gardeners living in urban and suburban areas almost always have to perform some pruning to keep trees and shrubs from out-growing the yard, garden, or container. Root-pruning is another technique that can help restrict the size of plants in containers.

Let in More Light – If you have an extremely shady yard or you’d like to have more sun reaching the area under a tree for plants or lawn, careful pruning can let in a little extra sunshine.

Health and Structural Soundness – Any diseased, injured, dying, or dead branches should be removed for the health of the tree. Branches that rub together should be removed to eliminate potential damage to a main branch. Much of maintaining structural soundness in a tree is about careful pruning practices such as not “topping” trees. Topping can make the tree weak and susceptible to pests. It’s also associated with the slow death even if it takes years for the tree to actually die.

Create Special Effects – Pruning for special effects is most often seen in formal-type gardens. They often take the shape of boxwood (Buxus spp.) topiaries, or an apple tree that’s been trained as an espalier. Pollarding or coppicing pruning techniques may be used, as well.

Encourage Flowering and Fruit – Pruning can coax growth spurs (produces the flowers and the fruit) to form on the branches. Strong flower buds are also encouraged to form due to pruning. Fruit trees can be lightly pruned in the summer which will provide better air circulation around the fruit. This results in less trouble with fruit diseases and the fruit ripens faster.

Protect People and Property – Trees that have been planted near homes, sheds, play structures, and other buildings propose a potential threat to human safety if heavy branches break off or the tree falls. They can also interfere with telephone or power lines. Proper pruning can keep people, pets, and property safe.

Keep Evergreens Proportionate – Pruning will keep boundary hedges under control. Evergreens benefit from light pruning as it keeps their foliage dense, and therefore, attractive.

Improve Appearance – Many gardeners’ top priority when pruning their plants is mainly about their appearance in the yard or garden. Removing little dead or unwanted branches, creating a pleasing shape, removing suckers keep plants looking neat and at their best. Many lovely blooming shrubs such the Butterfly Bush (Buddleia spp.) are capable of spectacular blossom shows due to good training and pruning techniques.

Most pruning is about working with a plant’s natural growth pattern as it’s developing, as well as for maintaining mature fruit trees along with other tree and shrub species. One of the few exceptions is when you’re pruning for special effects. In general, however, the proof a pruning job well done lies in a healthy, beautifully shaped fruit tree or shrub that doesn’t look like it’s been touched at all.

For more on pruning fruit trees check out Choosing The Right Pruning Tools.