4 Reasons for Pruning -Safety -Health -Aesthetics -Production

Strong Tree Framework Balanced Renewal Facilitate Management Harvest Sunlight Efficiently Maintain Productivity

What happens if you do not prune? Faster growth Earlier fruiting Less light penetration Poor spray coverage More difficult to manage

Crown Thinning

Crown Reduction

Establish a Strong Tree Framework Vertical trunk Well Distributed Scaffolds

Establish a Strong Tree Framework Wide branch angles are stronger Narrow angles are weak and increase shading inside canopy

A Strong Tree Framework: Major objective of the first three years Must last the lifetime of the tree Structural support for fruit crop Should not be crowded

Harvest Sunlight Harvest Efficiently: Poor fruit color Poor fruit distribution ◦Less fruit bud development Poor fruit size Poor fruit flavor Poor Light Intensity Leads to

Harvest Sunlight Efficiently: Harvest Sunlight Efficiently: Light Intensity Affects F ruit Color and Size

Harvest Sunlight Efficiently: Light Intensity Affects Fruit Color and Size

Maintain Productivity: Remove Unproductive Wood Fruiting wood which hangs down Fruiting wood which is shaded Water sprouts and root suckers Diseased or damaged wood Weak or thin wood

Maintain Productivity: Remove Unproductive Wood ◦Remove weak or thin wood

Maintain Productivity: Maintain good vegetative:fruit balance Maintain Productivity: Maintain good vegetative:fruit balance ◦Thin out excessively vigorous vegetative growth during summer ◦Allows light into center of tree

Maintain Productivity: Maintain good vegetative/fruit balance Remove excessive fruiting wood In peaches - remove 40-60% of new fruiting wood each year

Tools used in Tree Training Manipulation of apical dominance Manipulation of apical dominance  Controlled by the plant hormone auxin  Produced by actively growing shoots  Moves down the branch with gravity

Effects of auxin 4 Inhibits lateral bud break 4 Inhibits lateral shoot growth 4 Affects branch angle

Pruning Remove the Source of Auxin Heading Cut Heading Cut 4 Remove part of the branch 4 Stimulate bud break near cut 4 Stimulate localized branching

Pruning Remove the Source of Auxin Thinning cut Thinning cut 4 Remove branch at point of origin 4 Least invigorating cut 4 Promote light penetration into canopy 4 Maintenance pruning

Cutting Tools

How to Cut

Poor Cuts

Apple Tree Example FEqscHQ FEqscHQ