It is time to prune any fruit trees you have. It should be started when they are young to improve tree structure for the rest of it’s life, but can be done on a tree of any age if you are determined. It is best done in late winter. This will insure that they grow into a tree which is easy to pick from for years to come, improves fruit quality, resists disease, and will not break under its load when bearing heavily.
If you’ve never done it before, pruning fruit trees can be intimidating since it requires making some bold cuts. However, it’s such an important part of growing fruit that it is definitely worth learning a few basic techniques. Pruning a tree is actually fairly easy to do and does not take much time. Even a newbies like us should be able to prune a young tree in less than 15 minutes once they get the hang of it.
Pears and apples are known as pome fruit. Cherries, apricots, and peaches are known as stone fruit. They are pruned differently, and you must know the difference in how to do this before you start. It is easier than I thought it would be, but a bit of time is needed to learn.
Here are a few 2 minute videos to start you out. This one is on a young peach tree.
Here is a good 2 minute video on pruning a young apple tree.
Some basic, but important, rules:
~Don’t prune cherry trees until after they bear in the summer.
~You want somewhat of an ‘open center’ for good sunlight penetration and air circulation.
~You want strong branches which come out of the trunk at 45 degrees. Greater or lesser angle makes for a poor weight-bearing branch later in the life of the tree.
~You want to encourage outward growth of coming limbs. Where you cut determines which way the new branch will head. This is called a heading cut.
Here is another 3 minute video for a young peach which has some additional info which I found helpful. The whole Peaceful Valley/Grow Organic site is helpful and contains lots of good videos on pruning other things like grapes, hardy kiwi, raspberries and blackberries, as well as, planting trees, and lots of other gardening practices.
When we were selectively ‘trimming back’ our little orchard (only 9 trees at this point), we soon understood the real reason we prune. It is to encourage correct growth and a excellent outcome. As we worked, our minds were making all kinds of associations to the pruning God does in our lives. It makes so much sense when YOU are THE PRUNER (aka the vine-dresser, the husbandman, the gardener)! Every cut has a desired future goal.
One of the reasons I am so sad that our culture is moving more and more away from an sustainable and simpler lifestyle is because we are losing our understanding of these foundational principles in life!
How wonderful to teach these concepts to our children and their children as we teach and work side by side in the orchard/garden. Purposeful teaching is necessary for leaving a rich biblical legacy for our families.
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ” ~John 15: 1-2
I’m linked -Up at Thrifty Thursday and thrifty thursday.
~ Jacqueline
I wanted to tell you that this blog is wonderful; following your posts. Thanks, new friend
This has helped me with the knowledge I need to get started. I appreciate everything you have shared about pruning.
The place we have lived the last 2 years has a BUNCH of fruit trees. After irrigating them and my dad discovering they were planted too deep we have gotten a lot of tasty fruit from them. Though our Anna Apple tree gave us an apple and a half last year (worm got part of one). Hoping for a few more this year, but its looking pretty feeble, maybe a little pruning will help!
Oh, I hope you can rescue some of them!! Let me know how they do
I missed out pruning last year and we will have to be patient, but I think we will have a great crop!! Blessings to you, dear friend!
So excited about this year. I pruned my satsuma trees just a little this year. I was very nervous! There are tons of flowering buds on it, I hope we get a better crop than last year.
My apple trees are still so young. Any thoughts on when to start pruning them (age wise). I now have to wait till next year because the pruning season is pretty much over.
Kristie, I’m no expert, but have read that it is wise to prune them as early as the first year to begin forming their future shape, but also if it is too late, you should wait until next year for that reason
I will be looking up a satsuma tree…never have seen one 
Save me a bite, will you ??
Thank you for your thoughts. I wonder if it’s too late to do an espalier?
Crazy dreams.
Satsumas are related to the orange. They are largely seedless and very delicious!
When we moved in there were two fully mature trees in our yard. I love to make satsuma-lemon marmalade with them every year! (I need the lemons because the satsumas do not have much pectin in them).
That is very cool
As for the espalier, I think it has to be done over a period of years and the pruning started young. My Dad was from Holland, and he had espalier’d pear trees on the side of his home. We’ve had the pears 
here’s the link to a post I did on his old homestead: http://www.deeprootsathome.com/?p=10820. Thanks, Kristie!
Great blog, interesting post. We have ancient apple trees, well over 150 years old. We just pruned an old pear tree a couple days ago, am hoping for half decent pears! I’m setting to work this week on helping the poor old apple trees – clearing away dead branches, cutting off suckers, and clearing away other trees nearby that are shading them. I’m definitely “favoriting” your blog!
Susan, I wish you well with those big old apples. I hope they will bear again for you! Thank you for your kind words!
Apple trees question and you are talking to a city slicker and family so here goes. Apple trees have a problem…..apples at first are fine but then maybe a blight? I think whatever it is messes with the hydrangea….We really don’t have a lot of money for treatments but if it was home grown or inexpensive, we could go for it…BTW, the peach trees are fine but small in size…???? Any thoughts would be appreciated…
Hi, Valerie,
I hope that answers your question. If not, I’ll give it another try 
Blessings!
The apples we have a re spray-free for disease (no blight), but not for pests. Here is a link: http://www.millernurseries.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=282 We’ve purchased from Miller for years and have been satisfied. they also have short (dwarf) peach trees
Oh, dear. Another thing I forgot to add to my to do list. You reminded me. Thank you… I think.
Last year in heavily pregnant desperation, I ordered about 15 fruit, nut and berry (apple, plum, cherry, hazelnut, honeyberries, blueberries etc) and because I was unable to do any physical labor without serious health consequences, they were hastily planted in our unprepped, hard, crusty post-construction soil. During the summer, they grew… but I’ve yet to see if they survived our mild winter (we have another month of snow on the ground). Temperatures are warming now, so I guess I should get out there and prune them. Hopefully there’s survivors.
This was a good post, and very timely for me.
Well, praise God! I do hope they made it. Isn’t it funny the things we do when we are pregnant…I can’t wait to hear how it goes. Do let me know, dear friend
Thank you for these tips! I need them!
Oh, I cannot wait to plant fruit trees. They will be one of my very first purchases once we move into our own home… and I’m sure I’ll be referring back here for help on pruning them. It seems to scary to cut away so much of the branches, but what a beautiful example of what Christ does with us!
You know, Anna, I feel all trembly when we lop off so much of the growth on these trees, but it is amazing…all that ENERGY is used to put on new productive growth!! It has helped me understand more of how our Heavenly Father trains us!! Yes!