Late Winter Pruning (March)

Pruning is essential for fruit trees. There are numerous benefits:

• Creates a calm tree with fruit spurs rather than vertical growth.

• Creates an open scaffold structure and strong limbs to carry heavy fruit and snow/ice.

• Ensures a shorter and sturdier tree, making harvesting easier.

• Allows air to flow, reducing disease. In the Northeast, where we get so much moisture, our three main allies for growing fruit trees are…. air, air, and air.

• Allows full sunlight into the tree, ensuring larger and riper fruit.

Early Spring Pruning (April)

Peaches are pruned in April. Because they fruit only on one-year old wood, it is easier to prune them properly once the flower buds can be seen.

Branch spreaders can be put on in March or April. For pear trees, branches spreaders can be put on in April, after they start to leaf out.

Late Spring Pruning (June/July)

If the trees are stressed, or are responding with a flood of growth, they can be calmed with a June pruning when there is a dry week. This is “reduction pruning” rather than renewal pruning.

No pruning should be done after the Solstice.