Prune apple, pear, and most other fruit trees in late winter while they are dormant, after the coldest weather has passed and before buds swell. Start by removing dead, damaged, and diseased wood, then water sprouts, root suckers, and crossing branches, cutting just outside the branch collar, and take off no more than about a quarter of the canopy in one year. Peaches, nectarines, and other stone fruit do better pruned a little later, just before or at bloom.
Why late winter
Without leaves you can see the branch structure clearly, and pruning just before spring growth means cuts close quickly. Pruning in early fall can push tender regrowth that freezes. Pruning during the coldest part of winter can leave tissue around fresh cuts exposed to cold injury. Late winter is the sweet spot for most home orchards.
| Tree type | Best timing | Typical shape |
|---|---|---|
| Apple and pear | Late winter, dormant | Central leader or modified leader |
| Peach and nectarine | Just before or at bloom | Open center (vase) |
| Plum and cherry | Late winter to early spring; dry weather | Modified leader or open center |
| Fig in cold zones | After danger of hard frost, once you see what died back | Bush or low tree |
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Find My Plants →What to cut, in order
- The three Ds: dead, damaged, and diseased branches, back to healthy wood.
- Water sprouts: fast, vertical shoots from main limbs. They shade the tree and rarely fruit.
- Suckers from the base or rootstock, cut flush with the ground.
- Crossing and rubbing branches: keep the better placed one.
- Inward-growing branches that crowd the center. Fruit needs light and air to ripen and to dry quickly after rain.
- Narrow crotches on young trees: favor limbs that leave the trunk at a wide angle, which are stronger under fruit load.
Then step back. Many home trees need only these cuts in a given year.
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How to make good cuts
- Cut just outside the branch collar, the slightly swollen ring where a branch meets the trunk or larger limb. Do not cut flush, and do not leave a stub.
- Use the three-cut method on limbs over about 1 1/2 inches: an undercut a foot out, a top cut just beyond it to drop the weight, then a final cut at the collar. This prevents bark tearing.
- Heading cuts (shortening a branch to a bud) stimulate bushy growth. Use them sparingly, and cut about a quarter inch above an outward-facing bud.
- Skip wound paint. Research shows trees seal cuts better on their own.
- Clean tools between trees, especially if you are removing cankers or fire blight, with 70 percent alcohol. Our guide to cleaning and sharpening garden tools covers it.
How much is too much
Removing more than about 25 percent of live wood in one season triggers a flush of water sprouts and can cut next season's crop. Neglected trees are best restored over three years: a third of the problem wood each winter.
Safety
- Ladders cause most pruning injuries. Use a three-legged orchard ladder on soft ground or a stepladder fully opened on firm, level ground, never the top two steps, and have someone nearby. Better yet, keep trees low enough to prune from the ground, or use a pole pruner.
- Stay well clear of power lines with ladders and poles; call your utility for limbs near lines.
- Wear eye protection and gloves. Twigs snap back at eye level.
- Large or high limbs on mature trees are a job for a certified arborist.
Bottom line
Prune in late winter, remove the three Ds, water sprouts, and crossing branches, cut at the collar, and stay under a quarter of the canopy. Follow up with a dormant oil spray before buds open to smother overwintering pests. For bigger limbs, see folding pruning saws and pole saws for tree limbs.
Related reading
- Planting fruit trees in fall
- Bypass pruning shears for garden cleanup
- Shrubs you should not prune in fall
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