“Lovliest of trees, the cherry now, Is hung with bloom along the bough.”
A.E. Houseman (A Shropshire Lad 1896)
Anticipation of early flowering trees grows strong as the daylight lingers a little more each day. While the low sparks of spring fever are hovering and there is little to do in the garden just yet, it is the perfect time to get outside with the pruners and saws to shape and tame the fruit trees in the landscape.
Here in New England, where the winters can be quite harsh, pruning too early in winter can cause damage and weaken trees. Best to wait until March when the coldest temperatures are behind us and bloom time is still well ahead of us. Pruning helps maintain the health and appearance of a tree and can be done several different ways, depending on the desired effect. If looking for more fruit, more shade, or for something more tidy or shapely to suit a specific space - pruning is the means to the end.
Apple, peach, plum, cherry, quince, crab apple and other such fruit trees should be tackled now (for a complete list visit a local nursery site or university extension). On the other hand, flowering ornamental shrubs such as lilacs, azaleas, magnolias and rhododendrons are best pruned right after they finish blooming.
There are two types of cuts to consider when pruning. Thinning cuts reduce the number of branches on a tree, and heading cuts increase the number. The thinning cut is useful when the tree is too full and no sunlight can reach lower limbs. It involves the complete removal of the shoot or branch at its base where it joins the rest of the limb, and will have minimal impact on the appearance of the tree. In contrast, the heading cut is removal of part of the shoot or branch so that some of it remains on the tree. Heading cuts are used to shorten branches and to change the direction in which the shoot or branch is growing. Consequently, it will alter the tree’s appearance and also invigorate the buds and shoots that are closest to the cut.
To begin, remove all dead limbs and branches (sometimes this is not obvious, and they can be removed once the plant begins to leaf out). If the removal of large limbs is desired or necessary, do this next. Remove large limbs in sections or with the help of another person – if it is a really big, or potentially dangerous job, please hire a professional tree service. To avoid over pruning, only remove one or two large limbs each year. Once complete, the detailed pruning can begin. Here is where it gets fun and some creativity comes into play. Use heading cuts for the tallest branches to shorten the tree and allow more sunlight to reach the lower branches. Search for two limbs that are growing too close or crossing over each other and remove one with a thinning cut. Continue until desired effect is achieved. Branches that point down are generally weak and can be removed. Water sprouts (branches that point directly upward) are usually too vigorous and overshadow other branches. Remove these and keep only the ones that point at an angle. If the tree has only water sprouts, keep the weaker ones since they eventually bear fruit. Remember to go slowly, take a step back every now and then to get a good perspective of the tree, and never remove more than one third of a tree in any given year.
The same type of tree can be pruned many different ways, to any desired shape – straight and tall, wide and short, or asymmetrical if that suits the garden space. If the desire is to have an abundance of fruit, keep the tree at a height that makes harvesting manageable and open the upper canopy to allow light below. If shade or privacy is desired, let it grow and remove what is necessary for the health of the tree. For an artful focal point or limited space, espaliered fruit trees are a great way to go. Whatever the desire, fruit trees look beautiful in the garden, welcome wildlife and produce beloved bounty. The labor of love invested now will literally bear fruit in the weeks to come!
