Fruit Trees Need Summer Pruning for an Optimal Harvest

Summer pruning for fruit trees is like a cleansing treatment for the plants that so generously provide us with fruit. To harvest an abundance of delicious fruits, it's time to reach for the pruning shears.

It doesn't have to be a sprawling orchard, but harvesting delicious fruit from your own garden is a lot of fun. You can eat it right on the spot or bring it into the kitchen to transform it into other delicacies later, with spreads and desserts being top choices.

Summer pruning for fruit trees ensures an optimal harvest because it channels the tree's natural energies in the right direction. Unlike pruning done in winter, summer pruning slows down growth. The plant invests its energy not in developing its overall size, but in producing flowers and fruits because it receives more light and air. The garden owner harvests fruit with a more intense flavor, and in larger quantities too.

If you want to keep your apple, pear, and other fruit trees at a practical height for easy access, summer pruning is also beneficial. This type of care is especially important for fruit trees shortly after planting. Why? Because they need to develop the right balance between roots and canopy. If summer pruning isn't done, their tops often develop unevenly. The lower branches fall behind in development, creating the risk of "premature aging." This means that unpruned shoots bear fruit too early, overwhelming the young tree and inhibiting the production of fresh shoots.

Summer pruning for fruit trees targets what are called water shoots. These are strong, non-fruiting shoots that grow vertically upwards from the center of the tree's crown. In summer pruning, it's crucial to distinguish them from fruiting wood, which are also shoots growing in the crown but that actually bear fruit and should remain.

Competition shoots also need to be removed. These develop alongside the important leading shoots, which grow upright and from which branches and twigs extend. Sick shoots and those that grow awkwardly or prove to be obstructive should also be cut away.

For weak shoots, a stump cut is sufficient, leaving several leaves above the branch base. For strong shoots, a rosette cut is applied, where only a few leaves remain on the branch.

When should you reach for the pruning tool? July and August are the best months for summer pruning. As soon as the new buds on the shoots are clearly visible, you can start. The tree tolerates the cuts best at this time because, for the tree, they are wounds it wants to close. It's practical to have a choice between two types of pruning shears: one for thinner and one for thicker shoots. If you discover any dead wood, remove that from the tree as well.

Summer pruning for fruit trees focuses on one-year-old shoots. The primary fruit trees in our gardens, apple and pear trees, also receive an initial prune in June. During this prune, you remove short shoots even if they are bearing fruit. However, if you're dealing with late apple varieties, skip this June pruning, as their ripening period would become too short.

A good rule of thumb for summer pruning is to spare shoots with a small growth angle and cut those that shoot straight up vertically. Another principle is to perform summer pruning for plum and cherry trees only after harvest. The same applies to peach trees, which can tolerate a vigorous prune. In general, stone fruits are grateful for summer pruning with shears.

However, no summer pruning replaces winter pruning! The gardener will still need to tackle that.