PTP_2008_01_Winter_and_Summer

PLANTS THAT PRODUCE

Winter and Summer Pruning

By Richard Frost

The best advice I every received about pruning was the very first: “here, read this pamphlet and then come to our summer pruning class”. The pamphlet is: How To Prune Fruit Trees by R. Sanford Martin. You’ll usually find it for sale at local nurseries for a lower price than online. It is simple and easy to read. When coupled with the ideas of summer pruning, you’ll be a fruit pruning expert in no time.

Let’s start with the simplest – white and brown figs such as Janice-Kadota, Panachee, Turkey (not Black or Mission). They bear the best fruit on current year wood. In January, cut the entire tree back to about a foot above the crotch so that 3 or 4 forks remain. One to three dozen flexible whips will then grow skyward in the spring, each one bearing loads of fruit in the summer or fall.

With the exception of citrus, most new fruit trees for home gardens (including bare root) should be immediately topped off at 32 inches – some experts recommend even shorter. This will force side branches to grow out during the spring. Keep only those between 16” and 32” up the main stalk. You will be selecting 3 or 4 of these branches for further growth next year. They should have an upright growth habit and be about 6 inches apart vertically. Also, when you look straight down from the top, they should be almost equiangular. A year from now, you will keep these and remove the others. That following summer, you will prune them so that from the trunk each one forks twice at approximately 8 inch intervals. If the tree fruits during this training period, you should remove all (but maybe a few) fruits. Each fruit equals about enough energy to grow one four-foot branch. You can also retrain old trees this way (with a chainsaw!).

Summer pruning is all about taking responsibility for the size of the tree. In my yard, that means giving most trees a crew-cut at the 8-foot level. In your yard, it might be less. Why grow fruit that only the birds or a ladder can reach? More information about summer pruning can be found under backyard orchard culture at http://www.davewilson.com/.

The general rule for citrus is not to train them by pruning. However, citrus do sprout lanky, spiny, flowerless suckers from just about anywhere on the plant. These need to be removed at the source. If you want your tree to grow to true size, also remove all fruit that forms in the first 3 years in at least the mid- and top-portion of the plant. Finally, citrus trees planted in the ground need skirting: prune any drooping branches so that there is a 12” to 18” clearance from the ground to prevent pests and mold from coming up the tree. If you top your citrus tree to control the height, be sure to cover the spot with 50% shade cloth until new leaves sprout to protect the inner bark from sunburn.

For grapes and espaliers, look up “Grape” and “Pruning” in the Sunset Western Garden Book, 7^th edition or later. It contains great advice and easy-to-follow drawings. Heed the caution that normal harvests of grapes come after the 3^rd year in the ground. It’s worth the wait!

SDHS Member Richard Frost is also member of the California Rare Fruit Growers. For more information, see www.plantsthatproduce.com.