Over the garden fence: Tips for pruning your home orchard

Home orchards have been popular with Americans since colonial times, and today’s PA homeowners are no exception. The taste of homegrown fruit is a big potential payoff, but “growing your own” is a year-round commitment, and a little seasonal maintenance is required for best results. And February is the perfect time to address the first essential task of the year — pruning.

Pruning is important for many reasons. For young trees, proper pruning helps establish a strong, well-balanced arrangement of branches, and maintains the desired size and shape of a tree as it grows. A stronger framework is the result, supporting (hopefully) bumper crops in the future. An open canopy allows better air movement and light penetration, decreasing the severity of many diseases and improving fruit set, size and color.

Fruit trees should be pruned while dormant (alive but not actively growing), and in central PA, that normally means late winter through early spring. According to Penn State Extension, apple trees may be addressed as early as late January, although you should avoid pruning during severe cold (such as we experienced last month). By mid to late February, you can begin work on cherry and plum trees, but wait until March for peaches, nectarines and apricots — they’re especially susceptible to winter injury and canker infections.

Essential tools for pruning fruit trees include sharp bypass hand pruners for small cuts, loppers for larger branches, and a pruning saw for thicker limbs. For higher branches, a pole pruner or pole saw is recommended. But most importantly, sharp, clean tools are a must, to prevent ragged cuts that can open the door to disease. The type of cut you make matters too. For example, understanding when to use a “thinning cut” (to remove a branch and open the canopy) versus a “heading cut” (to increase branching on young trees) can be a stumbling block for novices.

While not complicated, the many steps of fruit tree pruning can’t be adequately described in a short article. However, Penn State Extension has published a useful instructional video that fully explains the process: extension.psu.edu/pruning-and-training-apple-trees.

But what about older trees that seem to be past their best? We receive a number of Hotline questions each year from homeowners who have “inherited” mature, unpruned trees upon moving house, or who have never pruned the trees they planted themselves.

If you find yourself in this situation, ask yourself several questions. Does the tree look basically healthy, structurally sound and free of pests and diseases? Has it borne fruit in the past? Is it in a good location? If the answer is no, you may want to consider removing and replacing it.

But if it’s mainly sound, rejuvenation pruning may be the answer. Master Gardener Tim Damico, under the tutelage of Penn State’s Dr. Shan Kumar, recently began a project to do just that.

“The 15 espaliered apple trees at the Ag Progress Days Demonstration Garden had gone unpruned for approximately 6 to 8 years,” he said, “resulting in uncontrolled growth that limited fruit set and increased disease.”

Last winter, Damico commenced rejuvenation pruning to correct the unruly growth habit of the trees. In this type of pruning, dead wood is removed first, revealing the structure of the tree, and strategic cuts are then made to open the canopy and reduce the size. (Neglected trees should never have more than 1/3 of their growth removed at one time.) “In subsequent years, less severe pruning will be required,” says Damico, adding that another goal will be to implement organic spraying to reduce disease and insect levels.

Extension also offers a comprehensive guide to rejuvenation pruning: https://extension.psu.edu/home-gardening-pruning-to-renovate-old-fruit-trees.

With just a little attention, you can (quite literally) enjoy the fruits of your labor in your own backyard!

In the garden this month

• Time to get those seed orders in, if you haven’t already done so. Consider trying one new selection that you’ve never grown before — it could wind up being a new favorite!

• There’s still time to wintersow native perennials, along with cool-season edibles like broccoli, greens, parsley and cilantro

• Give your Valentine’s Day bouquets some love: As soon as possible, make fresh cuts on all stems at a 45-degree angle, at least 1/2” from the end of the stem. Remove leaves that will be below the waterline to prevent them from rotting. Place in fresh, lukewarm water and place the bouquet in a cool dark place for an hour or two before arranging. Clean the vase and change the water every few days, adding a commercial floral preservative to extend freshness.

Lisa Schneider has been a Master Gardener since moving to PA in 2017. Have a gardening question? Email centremg@psu.edu.