Instructions: Winter pruning of fruit trees and shrubs

Regular maintenance pruning on fruit trees ensures that they thrive vigorously and deliver a rich harvest. At the same time, the growth of trees is controlled so that the fruit can be harvested by hand. The more harmonious the crown is formed, the more numerous richly bearing fruit shoots develop. On fruit bushes, the focus is on maintaining growth that is both compact and airy, without the risk of senescence. The following instructions show in a practical way how fruit trees and shrubs can be pruned in winter.

appointment and material requirements

Experience has shown that pruning between October and January causes particularly strong budding in spring. On the other hand, if you are aiming for less growth because the tree has reached the desired height, a day in February or March can be considered. At this time, part of the sap has already risen from the roots into the branches and is collected with the pruning. It is important to note that the weather is frost-free and overcast. In addition, the wood should be dry. The following materials are required:

• One-hand scissors with lock and rubber dampers on the handles
• Pruning shears with gear transmission
• Hacksaw with revolver handle
• Knife for smoothing cuts
• Ladder with seal of approval
• Ropes and straps for additional securing of the ladder

In addition, a sharpening stone and alcohol for disinfecting are indispensable components of the equipment for a successful winter pruning of fruit trees and shrubs.

Instructions for young trees

Young fruit trees receive their first cut in the second year. At this early stage of growth, growth is aimed at building a well-formed crown. The leading drive is also defined, as are three or four strong bearers that sprout from the trunk at offset points. Follow these steps:

• Cut off all side shoots above the bearers to just before the trunk
• Cut back the three or four supporting branches by half
• The shoot ends must be at the same height at the end for the optimal juice scale
• Shorten the leading shoot only so far that it overhangs the juice scales by 20 centimetres

The perfectly formed crown of a young fruit tree has the shape of a pyramid when viewed from the side. Up to the age of about 5 years, the structure and growth in height are maintained with each winter cut. In the end, the fruit tree has a basic structure consisting of a main trunk and main branches. Depending on the type and variety, the fruiting branches are distributed over this with an appropriate number of side branches.

Instructions for the maintenance cut

Once the crown of a fruit tree has developed satisfactorily, the construction phase leads to maintenance. The winter cut takes place from about the fifth year according to these premises:

• Clear out all dead wood
• Cut all steeply upward competitive shoots at the base
• Shorten too long, weak shoots to 4 or 5 eyes
• Cut back branches that are pointing downwards to a young and vigorous shoot
• Completely remove crossing or rubbing branches
• Eliminate shoots that point towards the inside of the crown

A carrier should not have more than three side branches that are 100 centimeters apart and point slightly upwards at an angle. The fruit branches in the gaps are ideally only half as long as the side branches. Over the years, it is your choice whether to allow height growth. In this case, the trunk is not shortened to create a second series of bearers. The crown volume doubles in this way, as does the crop yield. The poorer accessibility of the fruit, which now sometimes consists of fallen fruit, is likely to be a disadvantage.

influencing the direction of growth

The more horizontal a side branch grows, the better fruit shoots will develop on it. If these branches don't want to move into the horizontal position by themselves, you can help them out with a little trick. Disused plastic pots of various sizes are filled with concrete into which a curved wire is stuck. That way, once cured, you'll get different weights to help guide the stubborn branches in the direction you want them to go. Experienced hobby gardeners use this technique on fruit trees that are particularly vigorous in order to slow down the rate of growth. Side branches weighed down with the weights hardly grow in length. Instead, they increasingly develop the desired fruit shoots.

Correct cutting technique

In addition to knowledge of the ideal pruning for a growth and maintenance pruning, these instructions would like to give you the tools for the optimal pruning technique on fruit trees.

• One hand holds the cutting tool, the other the branch to be removed
• Putting tension on the branch reduces the amount of force required
• Do not leave stubs (coat hooks) standing, as they cause rot
• Holding the scissors or saw at a slight angle allows rainwater to run off more quickly

Mighty branches are removed in stages. First saw the branch from below at a distance of 30 centimeters from the intended cutting point. Then saw at a distance of 40 centimeters from above so that the branch breaks off. The remaining piece is now sawn off on the astring, i.e. directly on the trunk, pointing downwards. The choice of the cutting point on the branch has a significant influence on the subsequent growth direction of the shoot extension. If you start the cut just above an outward-facing eye, branching and growth will occur in that direction. Again, an angle of about 45 degrees to the branch is beneficial.

Winter pruning of fruit bushes

Winter pruning is also recommended for fruit bushes, as there are no leaves to obstruct the view of the shoots. The pruning should be completed by the end of February because this year's budding is about to start. The vast majority of berry bushes bear fruit best on the one to three year old branches. These sprout as branches from the main shoots, which were built up in the first few years according to this strategy:

• After planting, grow 3-4 vital shoots that are 1-2 years old
• Cut off all other branches in the first cut after the year of planting
• Continue in this way until 1 pair each of one, two, three and four year old main shoots thrive

Following the build-up phase, you enter the maintenance phase. Winter pruning is aimed at strengthening vitality and harvest yield. Proceed with these steps:

• Thin out the bushes carefully
• Cut off inward and weak shoots
• Cut off the two oldest leaders at the base
• Shorten branches that bore fruit in the previous year to 2-4 buds
• Leave the two strongest specimens of the new branches
• If necessary, cut this off by a maximum of one third

In the end, air and sunshine reach all regions of the berry bushes. In addition, 2-3 side branches thrive on each main branch, which develop into fruit shoots. Surplus side branches are shortened to 2 buds so that they bear fruit in the year after next. Resourceful hobby gardeners mark the branches according to their age with differently colored rings.

Wound treatment tips

Cuts with a diameter of 20 millimeters and more require special attention. To ensure that no pathogens or pests gain access here, the following wound treatment is advisable:

• Smooth the edges of the wound with the knife
• Coat the cut surface with tree wax or another wound sealant
• Include a few millimeters of the underlying bark

Since it was observed that rot can form under the seal, experienced hobby gardeners favor a modified approach. Not the entire wound surface is coated, only the edges. The inner wound area is only dusted with charcoal ash or rock powder.

Conclusion

Don't be discouraged by the claim that pruning fruit trees is a complicated science. In fact, only common gardening sense and these instructions are required to master the winter pruning of fruit trees and shrubs in an exemplary manner. You can grow a young fruit tree or berry bush according to your individual ideas if you take a few basics to heart. With the right technique and pruning on a fully grown tree or shrub, you can make an important contribution to a rich harvest over many years.

Learn more about orchard care