Do you have fruit trees that are getting a little ‘out-of-control’? Summer can be a great time to start to reign them in.
Why Summer Prune?
Winter (dormant season) pruning tends to create lots of straight, vigorous, fruitless branches, called water sprouts. Without nipping these shoots in summer, we can end up in an endless cycle of unwanted vegetative growth. Conversely, pruning in late July to mid-August (NOW) tells the tree to ‘hold it’s horses’ and maintain the form created by the cuts. This is because fruit trees are starting to slow down the new green growth and the older wood from this spring is even starting to harden off for winter. We summer prune to let in more light to hit the fruitlets, increase air flow and encourage a good balance of fruiting spurs and vegetative growth for next year. Summer pruning also encourages branches to spend the rest of the summer thickening up, creating good girth for a strong framework. Espalier, cordon, and small urban trees are extremely important to shape in summer, while large trees can also benefit by letting in more light and reducing the pruning load for winter. While excessive summer pruning can stress weak trees, vigorous healthy trees can easily handle the heavy haircut and will hold their shape better moving forward. We (Tayler & Tim) will be making our rounds to existing client’s between July 21st-August 21st. We’ll also be spraying our holistic orchard sprays to boost tree health. If you’re a new client, we just need a photo of the fruit trees to ensure they’re good candidates. Some tree renovations need to start in winter when bigger wood can be removed, but others with excessive water sprouts from winter pruning need attention now.
Contact us to get on the circuit!
Tayler
250.884.2279
[email protected]
