How to prune fruit trees to increase the yield: three main rules

Incorrect pruning can be fatal for a tree, especially a young or not very healthy-one. This is why it is important to know how to properly prune fruit trees, so as not to make mistakes.

OBOZREVATEL has learned the nuances of such care and tells how to improve the condition of trees through pruning, rejuvenating them, and making them more productive. Your garden will look great and be healthy.

Leave the flower buds alone

The flower buds are where the future harvest begins since it is the flower that produces the ovary. So be very careful when cutting them, removing as little as possible. Take a look at what such buds look like on the trees in your garden. As a rule, they are grayish, rounded buds on a stalk. Try to avoid them when pruning.

Thin them out.

Too dense a crown gives strong shade and lets less air through. Consequently, the fruit takes longer to ripen, grows smaller, and has a worse taste. Also, a thickened crown accumulates moisture, attracting pests and provoking diseases. Therefore, prune the tree so as to thin out the excessive mass of branches.

Limit the height of the tree

The best height for a fruit tree is about 2.2 to 2.5 meters. This is the easiest way to take care of it: spraying, pruning, and harvesting. Also, about the same height allows you to evenly distribute sunlight between the trees. That's why you should keep them at that level with pruning.

Choose the right time to prune

Pruning a tree too early creates the risk that it will suffer frost damage. If you prune the tree too late, it will lose sap for a long time, which will be bad for it. Experienced gardeners recommend choosing a day for the procedure when the sun is already quite active, but the air is not heated strongly above 0 degrees. In such conditions, the plant itself is still asleep, but its bark has already become soft enough for convenient pruning. The best time for such care is the second half of March and early April.

Earlier OBOZREVATEL told you how and what to spray your garden against pests and diseases.

Subscribe to OBOZREVATEL channels in Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest news.