Sharpen up the pruning equipment, winter is about to arrive and it’s time to start thinking about those lovely fruit trees that have given so much over the warm months. So, how are things looking in the orchard?
A hearty annual trim is recommended in order to encourage a great framework within your fruit trees. Pruning won’t directly improve the quality of fruit, but it will take care of any problems your fruit trees experience during the months of faster growth and hyper-growth phases. These phases can have a negative impact on the tree’s ability to stay nice and strong. Imagine how you may feel mid-summer next year when your favourite peach tree, dripping with just-ripe fruit can’t handle the fluctuation between a cool spell and a hot spell -and responds with a snapped limb or worse, a cracked trunk? This is why we prune.
Most gardeners have trusted techniques that help them get around fruit trees without much trouble, but what is their plan of attack? It’s usually approached in a step-by-step system that makes an otherwise overwhelming task very manageable.
Clear the workspace.
Using high-quality arborist grade pruning equipment will get the job done faster and more effectively. Prune away any dead wood, damaged, diseased or less-than sections. If your tree is sprouting from the trunk, whip that off too. You want to bring the tree back to basics.
Get Skinny.
Thinning out the subject is a matter of letting air and light flow into the canopy. Why?Because this reduces pest activity and the risk of infection. Get rid of any downward headed growth and take out anything that detracts from an even, well-spaced appearance in the frame of your tree. You want at least 20 cos of space between each branch.
25% off, please
This is the simplest step of pruning and probably the most satisfying. You need to remove the seasonal growth by about 25%, which is enough to satisfy a good growth without encouraging spindly growth during the regenerating months. Think of it as an overall haircut!
If you’re not sure about pruning your tree, don’t dive right on in without the trusted advice of a professional. If you’re not 100% on how to prune or if you don’t have the physical agility to get the job done, help is certainly at hand. Get in touch with our team of professionals and have us assess your fruit-bearing trees for a prune that will keep them safe and healthy. Call 03 9897 4418 to arrange a free consultation today!
