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Aggressive pruning can be done when the tree is bearing fruit, but may not be effective in all species if completed in one season. Stone fruits that are more mature, such as peaches, nectarines and. Mar 16, Once your tree has matured and begins to produce fruit, expect new branches to bear their best for several years (perhaps three to five years) and then taper off. You'll want to prune off older branches that have begun to produce less in order to encourage new ones. This practice will help you have a more-or-less steady crop over a period of years.

Summer is a good time to remove older branches, according to Patterson, because it is then obvious which branches are producing Estimated Reading Time: 4 mins. Prune off the top of the newly planted fruit tree in late April. Cut it at between 20 and 30 inches above the ground.

Trim back all other shoots and branches to 6 inches.

May 05, A knee-high prune is reasonable for almost all fruit trees for small gardens, but peaches and nectarines will sprout more reliably if you cut just above a nurse limb (a branch left to absorb the Images. Jan 31, 1. Avoid cutting the limb too short. It used to be popular to trim the limb as close to the trunk as possible, but that actually can lead to your tree getting sick.

Instead of cutting at the tree trunk, cut at the branch collar right before the tree trunk so the tree can 79%(14). The best time of year for removal is in the early spring when you're doing other maintenance pruning; however, sometimes this unwanted growth can shoot up during the growing season, so, if you see any develop on your fruit and nut trees, grab your pruning shears and remove those suckers (and watersprouts).

You'll be doing your trees a favor!