Pruning fruit trees is necessary for a good fruit harvest, but also for the good health of the tree. Remove dead wood, misplaced branches and shorten the branches that have borne fruit. The first thing you need is a good pair of pruning shears, a branch cutter and a saw. You will also need a ladder if necessary and, of course, gloves.
IMPORTANT: Don’t forget to sanitize your pruning shears with rubbing alcohol between each tree and, if necessary, sharpen them again.
All right! But when is the best time to prune fruit trees? In autumn? In winter? Summer?
| Fruit tree | Type of pruning | When to prune? |
|---|---|---|
| Apricot tree | Training | Winter |
| Rejuvenation | Winter | |
| Fruiting | Summer | |
| Cherry tree | Maintenance | Fall |
| Shortening | Winter | |
| Blackcurrant | Winter | |
| Raspberry Tree | Training | Winter |
| Fruiting | Winter | |
| Red currant | Maintenance | Winter |
| Fruiting | Winter | |
| Gooseberry | Maintenance | Winter |
| Fruiting | Winter | |
| Kiwi | Fruiting | Winter |
| Blueberry | Fructification (from the 3rd year) | Winter |
| Nectarine | Fructification | Fall/Winter |
| Olive tree | Maintenance | Winter |
| Training | Spring | |
| Orange tree | Training | Spring |
| Fruiting | Spring (when frost is no longer a concern) | |
| Peach tree | Fruiting | Fall/Winter |
| Pear tree | Training | Winter |
| Fruiting | Summer | |
| Apple tree | Training | Winter |
| Fruiting | Summer | |
| Plum Tree | Training | Winter |
| Fruiting | Summer | |
| Grapevine | Fruiting | Spring/Summer/Winter (3 times) |
Table legend:
- Training pruning: for young subjects, to give the fruit tree a shape.
- Maintenance pruning: to remove dead and diseased wood, eliminate branches that cross and touch each other (sensitivity to diseases).
- Fruiting pruning: to increase fruit production, to ensure ripening and enlargement of the fruit.
