Pruning Fruit Trees

The Garden Mix
Make plans now to join Melinda on her famous Garden Walks at Boerner Botanical Gardens in 2013! Download the schedule here. Nationally renowned garden expert Melinda Myers helps everyday gardeners find success and ease in the garden through her Melinda’s Garden Moments radio segments. Melinda shares “must have” tips that hold the key to gardening success, learned through her more than 30 years of horticulture experience. Listeners from across the country find her gardener friendly, practical approach to gardening both refreshing and informative! On this page, Melinda shares some more extensive garden tips, which expand on the information provided in her one-minute radio segments. New tips are added throughout each month, providing timely step-by-step tips on what you need to do next in your garden! Visit Melinda’s website www.melindamyers.com for more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and answers to your questions.
Pruning Fruit Trees by Melinda Myers , posted Jan 18 2013 2:23PM

Increase your harvest with proper pruning. Late winter or early spring before growth begins is a great time to prune fruit trees. As growth begins in spring the wounds will close quickly, reducing the risk of disease and insects moving in through pruning cuts. Prune to establish a strong framework on young trees or maintain the framework on established trees. Start by removing any crossing, damaged or parallel branches on established trees. Prune out water sprouts - those branches that grow straight to the sky - and suckers at the base of the tree. Make cuts flush with the branch bark collar, the swollen area at the base of the branch, where a branch joins another branch or above a healthy bud. Leave the basic framework intact and remove no more than one fourth of the crown. Heavy pruning will encourage excess growth and that will mean more work for you next season. A bit more information: Apples, pears, plums and many other fruit trees are often pruned in a central leader or modified central technique. A properly pruned central leader tree will look like a Christmas tree. With a modified central leader the side branches are about the same size as the central leader (trunk). For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com Tags : Topics : Environment Social : Environment Back To Blog
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12/31/2012 2:24PM

Pruning Fruit Trees

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When is it ok...
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