How best to drastically prune my fruit trees - Ask Extension
Good morning,
I have 2 mature apple trees, 1 mature peach tree, and 1 mature cherry tree. They have all grown too large for me to effectively manage ...
Knowledgebase
How best to drastically prune my fruit trees #878092
Asked July 21, 2024, 9:59 AM EDT
Good morning,
I have 2 mature apple trees, 1 mature peach tree, and 1 mature cherry tree. They have all grown too large for me to effectively manage them. I need to prune them back heavily.
(1) when is the best time to undertake this heavy pruning? Can anything be done now? The trees do not have any fruit (squirrels took all my apples and peaches )
(2) are there any tips on how to prune in such a way so that fruit buds form relatively quickly after pruning?
Regards
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
Winter would probably be the best time of year since the branching structure would be the most visible, but you can find pruning guidance (including for pruning older trees, though mainly for rehabbing apples) in the care web pages for apples and stone fruits. Fruit buds are actually flower buds (since fruits develop from pollinated flowers), and trees develop flower buds for the following spring around summer or early autumn, regardless of when pruning took place.
Although UMD Extension does not maintain a list of landscaping businesses or collect information on their services, nor do we suggest particular companies (the list below is not an endorsement or recommendation), we are aware of at least three businesses/persons in central Maryland that prune fruit trees. This might be useful if you wanted to hire them to prune for you, or to have them inspect the trees in person to teach you how to prune based on the current branching structure of the trees.
Miri
Although UMD Extension does not maintain a list of landscaping businesses or collect information on their services, nor do we suggest particular companies (the list below is not an endorsement or recommendation), we are aware of at least three businesses/persons in central Maryland that prune fruit trees. This might be useful if you wanted to hire them to prune for you, or to have them inspect the trees in person to teach you how to prune based on the current branching structure of the trees.
- Velvet Touch Rose Care (based in Montgomery County)
- Edible Eden Foodscapes (based in Baltimore City), <personal data hidden>
- Chelsey McBride-Gill (<personal data hidden>)
Miri
Hi Miri,
Thank you very much for your response. It has been very helpful.
Regards
Serge
You're welcome.
Good morning,
The grapes on my vine are being afflicted with one (or more) problems. I am attaching a photo. Please note that these are red grapes when mature. Can you diagnose the problem(s) and suggest a remedy?
We saw that you submitted this question separately as well, so will paste that reply here in case you receive this response first:
The symptoms pictured look like Black Rot, a very common fungal disease to which grapes can be very susceptible (there are no resistant cultivars). The linked page provides more information, but essentially, there is no treatment which will cure existing infection. Preventative fungicide sprays can be used next year, starting in early spring and continuing as long as the product you choose to use instructs (several repeated treatments will be needed every year). Remove all symptomatic, infected debris in the meantime (both now and this winter) so it doesn't harbor infectious spores for future outbreaks.
Miri
The symptoms pictured look like Black Rot, a very common fungal disease to which grapes can be very susceptible (there are no resistant cultivars). The linked page provides more information, but essentially, there is no treatment which will cure existing infection. Preventative fungicide sprays can be used next year, starting in early spring and continuing as long as the product you choose to use instructs (several repeated treatments will be needed every year). Remove all symptomatic, infected debris in the meantime (both now and this winter) so it doesn't harbor infectious spores for future outbreaks.
Miri
