It is that time of year again to get out there and prune those fruit trees. “Annual pruning of fruit trees helps to maintain vigor, tree health, and fruit size. Apple trees can be pruned almost any time in winter, but peach/nectarine, apricot and plum trees should be pruned in spring, just before bloom. These trees are more sensitive to colder temperatures, and if they pruned too early, they may experience some dieback.”- Tree Fruit IPM Advisory, by Marion Murray.
- rubbing branches
- branches that are growing into the center of the tree, straight up, or straight down
- broken or dead branches
- suckers and sprouts: Retain a small number of well-placed suckers within the tree to keep new growth closer to the center of teh tree and to replace old scaffold limbs as they are removed.
For more information on fruit variety recommendations for Utah visit USU Extension’s online resources:
For more information on maintaining and pruning fruit trees click here