The day that you plant your trees is the day that you begin to prune and train for future production. Neglect here will result in poor growth and delayed fruiting.
- 1st year -Pruning a young tree controls its shape by developing a strong, well balanced framework of scaffold branches. Remove or cut back unwanted branches early to avoid the necessity of large cuts in later years. Remove inside limbs as well as heading the central leader. Heading brings the top and the roots back into balance and causes buds just below the cut to grow and form scaffold branches.
- 2nd year- Again top the main leader to encourage another group of scaffolding branches. Remove all inside limbs and tip prune all existing limbs. The use of limb spreaders is encouraged to get the desired spread of limbs (45-degree angle with the main trunk). This will ensure sufficient light reaches the interior portion of the tree. Remember to always keep the central leader as the highest point on the tree and keep the ends of the scaffolds and primary limbs below the top of the tree. Prune trees every year in February.
