FRUIT TREE PRUNING

Basics
Better Ways to Prune for Tree
Health & Long Tree Life
Natural Target Pruning
Terminology and Tools
Reasons for Pruning Fruit Trees
Identifying & Managing Fruit Bearing Wood

Pruning for structural strength, tree

health, fruit production and size
Traditional p
pruning
g methods have frequently
q
y
emphasized fruit production while sacrificing tree
health and long tree life. Skills needed to prune
trees properly take time to learn and training to
develop.
Instead of following pruning principles that promote
tree health and long tree life, it is a standard
practice and is often considered easier and
more cost effective to replace the trees after a
relatively short period of time (10 20 years)
years).

Recent research on pruning by Richard Harris and

Alex Shigo (among others) has taught new
principles
i i l and
d given
i
new iinsights
i ht on h
how plants
l t
respond to pruning and how pruning affects tree
health.
This research has been adopted by the International
Society of Arboriculture to establish new and better
pruning standards for the way we should prune
trees.
Using these principles to prune fruit trees can
increase tree longevity and fruit production while
reducing maintenance costs as well as help to
reduce pest and disease problems on our fruit
trees!

PRUNING:
A pruning cut is a wound that is a possible entry point for
decay, diseases or insects.
Plants "heal" a wound by a process called
compartmentalization. This process surrounds the wounded
area both internally and externally with tissue that has greater
resistance to decay. The wounded area never grows back
together and this wound remains a weakened area for the life
of the plant.

PRUNING:
Cutting a small branch
and making a small
wound is always more
desirable than cutting a
larger branch and
making a larger wound
wound.
Larger wounds take
longer to "heal" (or
compartmentali e) and
compartmentalize)
have greater potential
for attack by decay
organisms,
i
di
diseases
and insects.

Pruning Sealers

Although
Alth
h pruning
i sealers
l
have
h
commonly
l b
been recommended
d d tto use on
pruning wounds, studies have shown that these products are not
beneficial and should not be used!

At best, they are purely cosmetic and do no good.

At worst, they trap disease organisms against the wounded area and
encourage disease
di
and
d decay
d
as wellll as iimpair
i th
the ability
bilit off th
the ttree tto grow
over the wounded area and compartmentalize the wound!

Do not use these products when pruning your trees!

Natural Target Pruning

Making Proper Pruning Cuts

Natural Target Pruning

In this lesson we will learn:
What is Natural Target Pruning
Where to make Natural Target Pruning Cuts
How to make Natural Target Pruning Cuts
Why is it important to make Natural Target
Pruning Cuts
When is it necessary to make Natural Target
Pruning Cuts

Natural Target Pruning - Definition

Natural target pruning, as defined and described by
Alex Shigo is a radical change from the conventional
method
th d used
db
by arborists
b i t since
i
th
the advent
d
t off th
the
chain saw to remove branches from hardwood and
coniferous trees
trees.
IIn natural
t l target
t
t pruning
i the
th
objective is to leave the
branch collar on the primary
stem or tree trunk while
removing
g the remainder of
the branch.

Where to Cut: Natural Target

P
Pruning
i
Good pruning cuts are
called natural target
cuts byy arborists,, who
use two targets on the
tree to show them
where to make the cut.

These targets
g
are the
branch collar and the
branch bark ridge.

The Branch Collar

Th
The branch
b
h collar
ll iis evident
id t on many species
i off ttree, some
more than others. It is the base of the branch where the
natural branch taper begins to flare out as it connects to the
limb or trunk
trunk.
The branch collar is (typically) a swollen, wrinkled area at the
branch base where branch and trunk (or branch and branch)
tissues come together.

The Branch Bark Ridge

Every branch has internal tissues that separate it from the
trunk. These tissues are instrumental in the process of wound
closure and self-defense and must be protected and maintained
during
gp
pruning.
g
As this internal branch tissue forms, the bark is forced upward
to form a raised ridge
g on the trunk that separates
p
the branch
from the trunk. It extends down the branch or trunk on either
side of the branch crotch.
This raised area is the branch bark ridge.

A Natural Target Cut

A natural target cut leaves the branch bark ridge and branch collar on the
tree without leaving a stub.

passes jjust outside the branch bark ridge

g on top
p and usually
y slants
The cut p
out and down, leaving a bump but no stub (from A to B on the diagram).
The cut is made on the outside of the branch collar.

Th
The branch
b
h collar
ll should
h ld never be
b injured,
i j
d cutt
into or compromized in any way.

A Natural Target Cut

Though the targets usually
are easy to see on most
broadleaved trees, some trees
like sycamore constantly lose
bark and dont accumulate a
branch bark ridge.

Conifers also may not

acc m late a ttypical
accumulate
pical branch
bark ridge. In both cases, cut
outside any swollen or wrinkled
b
branch
h collar.
ll

A Natural Target
g Cut

Some trees make it a little harder on us to find

the branch collar and the target cut, but for
them there is another rule of thumb
generalization developed by Dr
Dr. Alex Shigo
Shigo.

Find the top of the branch bark ridge (A). The

top of the cut is made at the top of the branch
bark ridge.

Make an imaginary vertical line from the top of

the branch bark ridge straight down to the
ground (line A-C). Now determine the angle
between this vertical line and the bottom of the
branch bark ridge (angle C-A-B).

Reverse this angle on the opposite side of the

vertical line A-C (angle C-A-D). The natural
target cut is made along the line of this
reversed
d angle
l (li
(line A-D).
A D)

Making a Natural Target Cut

Proper pruning means removing the branch so that the branch collar is not
injured or removed. No cuts should start behind the branch bark ridge.

When removing dead branches, never cut into the callus tissue which has
formed at the base of the branch. Remove the branch beyond the callus
ridge so that no living material is severed or detached.

Three things contribute to the desired result of making a natural target cut:
1. The Branch Bark Ridge is retained.
2. The Branch Collar is intact.
3.
3 Th
The fifinall cut liline correctly
l aligned.
li
d

There are no set pruning angles applicable to every tree - only targets
- the branch bark ridge and branch collar. Correctly using the targets
as guides should ensure the right final cut every time!

Natural Target Pruning

M ki Proper
Making
P
Pruning
P
i Cuts
C
Good p
pruning
g involves removing
g as much of the branch
as possible without leaving a stub or flush cutting.

Flush Cut

Stub Cut

Stub Cut

Flush Cut

Stub Cuts

Stub
St
b Cuts
C t are pruning
i cuts
t that
th t are made
d too
t far
f outside
t id the
th b
branch
hb
bark
k
ridge or branch collar. These cuts leave branch tissue attached to the stem.

g
incubate on the dying
y g stub that remains. Eventually
y the
Disease organisms
stub becomes a pathway for decay organisms to enter the tree trunk and
cause serious wood decay.

Heading cuts are pruning cuts that shorten a branch or stem so far back that
a large stub is created. In this case, the stub decays, creating health
problems for the tree.

Flush Cuts

Flush Cuts are pruning cuts that originate inside the branch bark ridge or
the branch collar, causing unnecessary injury to stem tissues.

Flush cuts can,

can and usually do,
do lead to a myriad of defects,
defects including
radial cracks, circumferential cracks, discolored wood and wood decay.

p p and may
y break the p
protective chemical barrier
Flush cuts are improper
and allow decay organisms to colonize stem tissue. The spread of this
decay will eventually end in the demise of the tree.

Healing Response to Pruning

Healing naturally follows pruning or wounding. It starts in the cambium, a

thin layer of cells between the wood and bark.

Two areas of the cambium, the bark ridge at the junction of two limbs, and
the branch collar function to close off the wound between the plant and the
pruning cut.

For fastest healing, prune close to the main branch without injuring the bark
ridge or branch collar areas.

Healing Response to Pruning

Natural target cuts start to seal over quickly as woundwood,
sometimes called callus, forms at the wound edges (callus
forms first and becomes woundwood as it matures and
becomes woody).
Wo
Woundwood
nd ood usually
s all forms in a contin
continuous
o s ring aro
around
nd a nat
natural
ral
target cut, eventually sealing over the wound as it grows
together.

Healing Response to Pruning

The term seal, rather than heal, is used
to describe tree wound closure
closure, since the
wound still exists inside the tree even after
it no longer shows on the outside
outside.

Compartmentalization of Wounds

Trees have a natural defense response to wounds and pruning cuts

cuts. They
form four types of walls to compartmentalize the area thus preventing the
spread of decay organisms.

The decay or injury remains but is sealed off and does not increase in size if
the walls are stronger than the decay organisms.

Natural target pruning initiates the wound response and promotes the
compartmentalization of the wounded area as quickly as possible.

Included Bark
Sometimes the bark where two
branches meet turns in instead of out,
forming a seam of included bark inside
th tree
the
t
instead
i t d off a branch
b
hb
bark
k ridge.
id
Areas of included bark often die and
become decayed.
These areas are naturally weaker than
branch attachments with normal branch
bark ridges
ridges.
Included bark can be found on any
t
tree.
It is
i more common where
h
branches attach to one another at a
very narrow angle, but it can occur with
wide attachment angles as well
well.

Included Bark

Included bark p
prevents strong
g attachment of branches,, often causing
g a crack at the
point below where the branches meet.

Codominant stems that are approximately the same size and arise from the same
position often form included bark.

Remove a branch that has included bark by cutting from the open crotch down and
out (or cut up to the crotch).

This actually leaves a small stub on or in the tree, but cutting farther down may
cause serious trunk wounds.

Pruning Leaders or Co-dominant Stems

When cutting
g back to a lateral branch,, a natural
target pruning cut is made by bisecting the angle
between the branch bark ridge and an imaginary line
made perpendicular to the leader or the branch being
removed.

The cut should slope out and down away from the
branch bark ridge, with the bottom of the cut straight
across from the bottom of the branch bark ridge.
g

A leader can be pruned off where another branch is

attached if the remaining branch is healthy and
g
and at least 1/3 the diameter of the leader to
vigorous
be removed (so a 6 leader could be removed at a 2
branch).

No more than about one-quarter

one quarter of the foliage should
be removed from the branch that is being shortened.

Co-dominant stems are pruned similarly. Removing

some of the lateral branches from a co-dominant
co dominant
stem can reduce its growth enough to allow the other
stem to become dominant.

Pruning Large Branches

To remove large branches (over one inch in diameter)
use the three-step cutting method.
This removes the weight of the limb before the final
cut and eliminates the p
possibility
y of stripping
pp g the bark
down the side of the main trunk.

The three-step cutting method:

1. Undercut one-third
one third of the way up through the branch one or two feet out
from the trunk to prevent bark stripping.

2. Cut down and remove limb. A top cut directly into or slightly outside of
the undercut
nderc t will
ill remo
remove
e most of the branch weight.
eight

3. Trim branch stub at branch collar. Make a final natural target cut that
removes the stub. Final cuts can be made from the bottom up to the crotch
if the branch angle is tight and tools wont fit in the crotch.

Natural Target Pruning

N
Natural
t l target
t
t pruning
i is
i a way to
t minimize
i i i the
th detrimental
d ti
t l
effects caused by pruning wounds.
Remember, that a wound on a tree is a wound forever. Trees
seal or compartmentalize a wound, they do not heal a wound.
The goal of any responsible pruner is to reduce the harmful
effects of their pruning wounds. This is done by pruning in such
a way as to facilitate the closure and compartmentalization of
th
these
wounds
d as quickly
i kl as possible
ibl b
by ffollowing
ll i th
the principles
i i l
of natural target pruning.

Do not:
make flush cuts behind the branch bark ridge.
leave living
g or dead stubs.
injure or remove the branch collar.
paint cuts.

Pruning Tools
Hand Pruners and Loppers

Both hand pruners and Loppers are available as anvil or bypass style cutting blades.

Anvil style has a tendency to crush living tissue, and is generally not recommended.

Bypass style cuts like a pair of scissors and makes a clean cut which minimizes
damage to the live tissue.

Hand pruners are useful for cutting branches up to

in diameter
diameter.

Loppers will cut branches 2 to 3 in diameter. Larger if the lopper has a compound
action cutting mechanism.

Sharpening Hand Pruners and Loppers

Sharpen bypass pruners

and loppers only on the
beveled edge
g of the blade.

Carbide sharpening tools are frequently the easiest to use. Carbide sharpeners are
available that will sharpen one side of a blade, as for scissors, and bypass pruners,
or both sides of a blade, as for knives.

Pruning Tools - Saws

Pruning
g saws are available as folding
g saws or as fixed blade saws.

Folding saws are smaller and conveniently fit in your pocket.

Fixed blade saws are larger to cut bigger branches.

Razor-toothed saws cut much easier and faster than conventional saws and are
preferred whenever they are available.

Conventional
saw teeth
Conventional
saw teeth

Razor teeth

Razor teeth

Pruning Tools
L dd
Ladders

Three-legged ladders or
orchard ladders are much
more stable on slopes or
irregular ground than are
standard
t d d lladders.
dd

Orchard ladders are

available in a variety of
heights. They are
extremely maneuverable
and
d are usually
ll made
d off
light weight materials
such as aluminum or
fiberglass.
fiberglass

Types of cuts:
Heading cuts / Topping cuts:

Cuts made to remove a portion of a branch, stem or trunk. Cuts are

made without regard to the position of the cut or to lateral branch
attachment.
attachment

Heading cuts usually result in excessive branch development below

the cut. These branches are usually poorly attached and frequently
b k off
break
ff damaging
d
i th
the b
branch
h or ttrunk
k th
they were attached
tt h d tto.

Types of cuts:
Thinning cuts
Thinning cuts - Cuts used to remove an entire branch or
stem at the point of origin
origin, or to remove a portion of a
branch or stem by cutting back to the crotch of a branch
which is at least 1/3 of the diameter of the branch that is
being removed, (drop crotching).

Types of cuts:
Drop Crotch cuts
Drop

crotch pruning is a
type of thinning cut and is a
recommended method for
reducing the size of a plant
in both height and width.

Making proper cuts:

Wh
When making
ki thi
thinning
i cuts,
t remove the
th
branch at the top of the collar or shoulder
of the remaining branch.
This will trigger a "wound response"
which
c initiates
t ates compartmentalization
co pa t e ta at o a
and
d
callus tissue formation at the wound site.

Making Cuts with Bypass

Hand Pruners and Loppers

Place the cutting blade at the

top of the collar to make a
correct cut
cut.

Placing the cutting blade on

th outside
the
t id off the
th cutt will
ill lleave
a stub above the remaining
branch collar.

Making proper cuts:

Never leave stubs

stubs...
The cut will not compartmentalize, and
decay and disease will enter the
wound.

Never make flush cuts.

This makes a larger
g wound which takes
longer to compartmentalize and also
removes the collar or shoulder which is
helpful in triggering the wound
response.
response

Never make ripped or

torn cuts
cuts.

When removing a larger

branch, follow the three
cut process to prevent
damage to the bark.

Making proper cuts:

If no visible collar or
shoulder is present, or
visible, prune at a mirrored
angle to the branch bark
ridge.

REASONS TO PRUNE

Structural Strength:

Pruning for structural strength is

especially important on fruit trees. Heavy
crops of fr
fruit
it can easil
easily break branches
branches,
severely damaging main scaffold limbs or
splitting trunks. Basic guidelines for
structural pruning are as follows:

Train scaffold branches to be spaced

along the trunk both vertically and radially
when trees are young.

REASONS TO PRUNE
Structural Strength:
Increase the crotch
angle of branches
to greater than 30
degrees by
spreading
sp
ead g b
branches
a c es
apart or by pruning
off o
o
one
eo
of the
e
branches.

REASONS TO PRUNE
S
Structural
lS
Strength:
h

Remove co-dominant leaders by

y removing
g or reducing
g one of the branches.

Occasionally
y one of the branches can be redirected into a lateral branch by
y
spreading the branch. This redirected branch will no longer be co-dominant.
The crotch angle should be spread to 30 degrees or larger.

REASONS TO PRUNE
S
Structural
lS
Strength:
h

Prune off branches which are attached to the

bottom side of attached branches
branches. (Unless this is
going to become the new terminal end of the
branch.)

If these branches break, ripping or tearing of the

bark of the supporting branch often results.

REASONS TO PRUNE
H lh
Health:
Prune off the four D's:
Dead, Damaged,
Diseased and
y
branches.
Dysfunctional
Dysfunctional branches
are branches which are
pointing towards the
ground or are crossing
or rubbing other
branches.

REASONS TO PRUNE
Fruit or Flowers:
Prune to leave flowering and
fruiting wood for specific fruit
types. (Fruiting spurs, last
season's growth/ one year old
wood, or current season's
season s
growth.)

Thin branches and

fruiting wood to allow
adequate
d
lilight
h
penetration and air
circulation for p
proper
p fruit
development for each
fruit tree type.

REASONS TO PRUNE
Shape:
Prune trees to
specific
p
shapes
p for
best fruit production.
Open vase or
modified open vase
for trees in the
genus Prunus.
Prunus
Central leader or
modified central
leader for all others.

REASONS TO PRUNE
Shape:
Sh
Many fruit trees can also be pruned or
shaped for specific function in the
landscape such as shade or patio trees
trees,
hedges, screens or espaliers.

REASONS TO PRUNE
Direct or redirect growth

Manage the growth in the tree so

that one branch or side of the tree
does not overgrow the other
portions of the tree and so that the
tree keeps a balanced shape.

Prune to a terminal branch to direct

growth in that direction.

As branches bend downward from

the weight of fruit, foliage, or wood,
they often need to be pruned back
into an upright growing position.
Use drop-crotching pruning
techniques to a side or top branch
to redirect growth.

REASONS TO PRUNE
Direct or redirect growth
As branches bend downward,
downward
redirect growth using drop-crotch
pruning techniques to a side or top
branch to redirect growth upwards
upwards.

REASONS TO PRUNE
Size:

Fruit trees which are

pruned to their maximum
size will produce the
greatest amount of fruit.
These trees are pruned
into central leader or
modified open vase
shapes.

To keep fruit trees

smaller for ease of
picking the fruit
fruit, to get
more trees into an area,
or because of space
prune to
limitations, p
modified central leader
or open vase shapes.

Never top or head branches or trees!!!

Topping
pp g or heading
g has many
y harmful effects on tree g
growth and tree health. The
results include excessive, poorly attached branch growth, disease and decay, and
starvation among others and never results in reducing the size of the tree long
term!

The only
exception is
when you are
pollarding a tree
or creating a
hedge.

Never top or head branches or

trees!!!
!!!
Reduce the height
g or
width of a tree, or the
length of a branch with
g cuts by
y the
thinning
pruning technique
known as dropcrotching.
g

Drop Crotch Pruning

Drop crotch pruning is to

prune a branch by dropping
back from the apical tip to a
lower lateral branch. This
lateral branch should be at
least 1/3 the diameter of the
branch which is being
removed.

A pruning cut is then made

at the top of the collar of the
lateral branch.

Drop Crotch Pruning

Each branch is pruned
individually reducing the height
individually,
or width of the entire tree.

Managing Suckers:
(Root Suckers)

Most deciduous fruit trees are grafted.

All growth arising below the graft or from the root system should be
removed to prevent the root stock from dominating and dwarfing out or
killing
g the desired g
grafted tree.

Managing Water Sprouts:

Water sprouts are vigorously growing upright shoots arising from above the
graft union on grafted trees.

In some cases, water sprouts can be trained to form strong branches and
ma be beneficial.
may
beneficial

If water sprouts are excessively crowded, have narrow crotch angles, are
crossing or rubbing, or are causing poor branch or tree structure, they
should be removed.

Timing:
Improper timing can predispose plants to attack by insects,
di
diseases,
or d
damage ffrom sunburn
b
or sunscald.
ld
Most p
pruning
g should be done during
g the winter months on
deciduous fruit trees when the trees are dormant and when
insect populations are suppressed by the winter cold.
In some cases, lighter summer pruning can be beneficial for
keeping trees smaller, however many bark boring insects are
promoted by summer pruning. If these insects are common in
your area, keep
k
summer pruning
i activities
ti iti tto a minimum.
i i

Training
Training branches to grow in specific directions is often a viable
option to pruning. This can take advantage of growth which
has already developed instead of pruning off already grown
b
branches
h and
d waiting
iti ffor new b
branches
h tto grow.

Using training techniques can avoid the wounds made by

pruning and therefore reduce the problems associated with
those wounds.

Training

Training
T
i i should
h ld b
be d
done when
h
branches are young and flexible
enough to bend into shape without
breaking or splitting the branch or
t k Weights,
trunk.
W i ht guy wires,
i
stakes
t k or
spreaders can be used to train
branches.

If ties are used, the tie material

should be at least 1" wide wherever
it comes into contact with the bark of
the tree to prevent damage to the
bark.

Identifying Fruit-bearing wood

Fruit trees may bear fruit on short
short-lived
lived (3
(3-5
5 years) or
long-lived (5-10 years or more) fruiting spurs, on last
years growth, or on current season growth.
It is extremely important to know the fruiting habits of
the fruit tree you are pruning in order to be able to
prune correctly and to maximize fruit production.
Each type of fruiting plants bears fruit on wood of a
specific age.
Fruit wood should be managed
g to keep
p trees
productive as well as to prevent over production and
to help prevent limbs from breaking.

FRUITING HABITS OF COMMON

DECIDUOUS FRUIT AND NUTS
Current-Season's Shoots
Che
Fig
Fi second
d crop
Mulberry
Persimmon
Quince
Walnut

Previous-Season's Shoots
Fig first crop
Filbert
Nectarine
Peach
Pistachio
Quince

Previous-Season's Spurs and Shoots

Apple minor
Cherry, sour
Pear minor
Pomegranate
Long-lived
L
li d Spurs
S
Almond
Apple
Apricot
p
and Aprium
p
short-lived spur
p
Cherry, sour
Cherry, sweet
Pear
Pecan
Plum,
Plumcot
Pluot
Pomegranate

Current-Season's Shoots

Avocado
Fi
Fig

Citrus

Surinam Cherry

Previous-Season's Shoots
Peach and
Nectarine

Pomegranate

Fig

Mulberry

Loquat

Fruiting Spurs - Apricot

Fruiting Spurs - Plum

Fruiting Spurs -Apple

Fruiting Spurs - Pear

Managing Fruiting Spurs

As time p
progresses,
g
, fruiting
g
spurs and fruiting wood
becomes excessively
crowded. This often results
in small
small, poor quality fruit and
broken limbs.

Thin out spurs and fruiting

branches to improve light
penetration and air
circulation reduce
circulation,
overcrowded fruit , reduce
the risk of broken branches
and to improve the quality of
the remaining fruit.

FRUIT TREE
PRUNING BASICS
Better Ways to Prune for Tree
Health & Long Tree Life
By Tom Del Hotal