Hi guys, I have 2 mature fruit trees a cherry and an apple. Before they start to bud I want to prune a couple of fruit trees we have. I left them last year to see how much fruit they generated. I didn't get anything I could eat last year So want to prune them to improve fruit generation, but want to check what some confirmation on what i'm about to do. First the Cherry. Looks very healthy with good shoots, It looks like it hasn't been pruned in years with the main trunks being over 24ft high. My Plan is to take the main trunks down to about 4-5ft, just above where they first branch. Then follow fruit pruning advice of cutting out crossing branches, triming new growths by half, triming out any branches going to the center. Basically start to train it into a good shape. Probably be 10ft by the time i am finished. Second the apple. Very old tree, lots of moss on the branches, I think its half dead. Not that many new shoots at all. main branches only go 10ft. but lots of off shoots and branches are about 6-ft long. Thinking of trimming right back to the first few branches. then training as above. I think I will watch the growth on this one, If the Pruning doesn't help generate good growth, I might take it down. And Plant a new one in a better spot. Its currently very shaded and is close to, ceder,pine and birch. Thanks for taking the time to read this and any advice you can give. Like I said, looking for confirmation that this is the right thing before I dive in. Thanks
Danjensen HI, Cherries take pruning well but the rule of thumb is 'don't take any more than 1/3 of the tree at one time.' So this year take off the tallest branches and limbs. you said its at 25ft. Take 5 to 7 ft. off this winter and also the new growth at the end of summer. Next winter do the same and the following year. Then you will have a more manageable tree. If you take too much off at once, it will send all its energy to wood production and not fruit production and you will get 100s Of suckers and water sprouts on your tree. That will ZAP all the energy out of it for next years harvest. You didn't say if your apple tree was an open center, umbrella or central leader type tree. Apple trees need winter pruning to encourage new growth. Not as much as peaches but a good shearing makes them happy. Take out all damaged and diseased wood, any that are growing down or strait up (water sprouts) or that are competing with the main scaffold branches. If it is an open center than remove anything growing toward the center of the tree to improve circulation. Trim or cut those long skinny branches back to an outward facing bud to promote lateral branching and to make fruiting spurs.
