How to prune fruit trees in the summer to keep them small and healthy: grow more fruit in less space
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- GROW YOUR OWN Foodscape and organic garden in your frontyard.
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We demonstrate step by step summer pruning of first year trees to develop scaffold branches and set them up to be strong, healthy, small trees that produce a ton of fruit. We then show summer pruning of a two-year-old plum and a four-year-old nectarine illustrating techniques to keep them small and ensure good light exposure for excellent fruit production. We also explain how summer pruning keeps trees small by removing vigor from the tree before energy is stored in its roots. Lots of pruning tips and details are included along the way.
The featured first year fruit trees are two pluots that we planted two feet apart as the centerpiece of our frontyard foodscape. The two varieties of pluot (flavor supreme and dapple dandy) are an early and a late ripening variety, which will greatly extend our harvest for the best use of the small space.
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Read more about growing small fruit trees at foodscapinguta...
Amazon link to Ann Ralph’s book: “Grow a Little Fruit Tree” www.amazon.com...
Perhaps the best pruning video I have ever seen. And for us who need to keep trees small, this is invaluable information.
So helpful to see the multiyear progression. You really explained what you are doing and then showed the results. I never understood the angled cut above the outward facing bud until you demonstrated it exactly. I like the idea of some close plantings and keeping the trees small. Also like your raised beds. Those, and a deep drainage channel, will get the trees a good root environment in our red clay soil. Thanks!
Glad it was helpful! Clay soil can be tricky. You can fill a hole with water and do a drainage test to see how bad the drainage is (you could google it to see exactly how), and then if it is really bad (like takes a day to drain) you might want to look for a different, higher spot. Either way I would consider planting on a mound or even a framed raised bed, especially if you want to grow stone fruit. Good luck!
Thanks for great information to keep fruit trees small.
Our pleasure.
Excellent Summer Pruning Demo
I like watching your videos. So in depth. You could literally eat everything from the garden. 💯💯💯
Thank you!
Best video I found that explains keeping the fruit trees small! Great examples (progress by years) with great explanations!
Thank you!
Very detailed informative and very helpful. Many thanks
Glad it was helpful!
Your video gave me a smile and lots of great tips on trees pruning. Thank you and please keep them coming! Godbless you! ❤️🙏
Thank you!
Great video, thanks for posting. I planted a backyard orchard last year, much inspired by your reference, Dave Wilson Nurseries. Unfortunately, his test orchard is not a home. Seeing how you did it at your home in a real world situation with trees of different ages was amazing. I planted 6 stone fruit trees last year, some very close together. An apricot, Burgundy Plum, Nectaplum, Pluery, Nectarine and peach. What you are doing is exactly what I am envisioning for my yard, 6-7 ft trees with ~75 pieces of fruit each. Perfect! Thanks again.
Glad it was helpful! It sounds like you are going to have a fabulous backyard orchard. -Our latest addition is a Spice Zee Nectaplum, just planted this year, let's hope it is as tasty as it is acclaimed to be!
Hi Chris S, how close did you plant them? I'm just starting mine now. Planting them 3 ft apart and a 3-in1 hole plus a 2-in1 hole three ft apart. How are your trees doing?
This is by far the best video I've seen to teach people how to keep a tree small. Thank you
Thanks for the comment!
Excellent video...thank you for sharing
Thank you!
❤❤❤ clearest pruning video I have ever seen. I would never have dared to prune so drastically. Thank you so much!
Searched "how to keep fruit trees small" and was deciding between this video and a 6 minute one - so glad I invested the extra time to watch this one. This was SUCH a helpful and thorough explanation!
Great! Glad it was helpful.
Thank you so so so much!
No problem!
This is the best video I have seen on pruning. Thanks!
Thanks! Glad it was helpful.
I learned alot from this video. Thanks. I have a dwarf bonfire peach tree that I want to keep low (no more than 3 - 4') and mostly for leaf ornamentation. Less interested in fruiting. Do you think I can keep the tree at 3' and more weeping than upright?
I’m excited to see how they are this year
Thank you so much for sharing. This is our first year with fruit trees that we want to keep small and this video was excellent and informative.
Luna E You’re welcome. Glad you like the video and found it informative!
Great teacher! Reasons for your actions well explained. The understanding will enable me to transfer this learning to other situations. Thanks for sharing.
Glad it was helpful!
One of the best videos!!!
Thanks!!
This video is more explanatory than the excellent Dave Wilson videos. Your Guy behind the camera knows what to aim the camera at.
I've been trying to espalier trees I buy at Lowes which are typically 8 feet tall and 4, 5 feet to the lowest branches. Playing around with trying to get branches to grow down at the 18 inch level using notching and pruning off the top 4 feet has not panned out reliably enough and I came to the conclusion that I got to start out with whips and in your video on the Belgian fence you nailed it for me that whips are the way to go
Your explanation explaining that after the summer solstice trees start sending energy to be stored down in the root. That makes a lot of scence. How can energy be stored in the roots of dormant trees , having no leaves to develop hormones and carbohydrates. This is the only video that has explained that . And I have watch a ton of videos.
Could you give me your opinion on numerous cases in my tree training. My trees are big box store wonders . That is potted trees 3/4 to one inch central leader , which I selected with the lowest branching. For horizontal cordon espalier I typical have a very vigorous branch that is four inches above the desired cordon level. Say a branch a 1/4 inch in diameter and 3 or four feet long. Below that branch is a much more suitable branch as far as its positioning for espalier that is less than 1/8 inch in diameter and one ,maybe two feet long . Call it a weak sickly branch in just a perfect position . By removing the vigorous branch above it would that develop the lower puny branch . Is the punny but healthy branch likely to benefit in girth and length by removal of the vigorous branch?
All the institutional videos on high density fruit tree training favor winter pruning as the major structural training technique. But you reverse that and structure your trees in the summer and that jives with my own limited experience.
My concern is how to leaf out and develop fruiting on branches that are particularly naked from the trunk /central leader to the terminal end which has a profusion of leaves. Dead wood they call. It. I have, say 2 to 3 foot branch with terminal ends and very sparse leading along most of the branch. Would vegetative and fruiting buds eventually sprout along the branches over several years or should I prune the branches back to Stubbs and start over
Great! I'm glad it was helpful.
@@bobbrawley2612 For your developing espalier that have a vigorous branch above a puny branch, removing the vigorous branch (especially if it is highest branch) would redistribute energy to lower branches. So, I would say it would very likely benefit the weaker branch (especially if the puny branch then becomes the highest one). I think winter pruning would be a good time to remove your high vigorous branches to hopefully give a large boost of growth to the smaller branch.
Thank you! Very helpful!
You’re welcome!
Really great video. Thanks for giving great information.
Glad it was helpful!
Great video! The only comment of caution I would make is about planting trees as close to the foundation of a house as that almond tree he has is. Tree roots are notorious for breaching foundation walls.... either that, or you'll need to dig down and prune the roots every so often.
This is exactly what I want to do. You are excellent at showing what we need to do and the progression cut ins really show us the why. What do you think about using cattle panels at a trellis for the apple trees?
Really informative thank you! I Would love to see a video like this on how to prune for height like your Almond tree for those of us with Elk friends where short just won't work.
Glad you enjoyed the video! Pruning for height would be similar, but you would mostly just prune in the winter to make your structure. With our almond (or a peach), we still choose 4 scaffold branches when the tree was young, but then did all the thinning and opening up during the winter.
-We might plant another almond next spring and, if we do, we will see if we can make another video!
Greet and clear instruction video! Could you do an update in your Belgian fence? Greatings grom Belgium!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the video. We have a Belgian fence update planned for this growing season!
How about shortening a 7 year old italian prune that is about 12’ high? Could i do some drastic cutting like this on it? I have already pruned it quite a bit in the spring but it is still a lot bigger than i want it to be. Thanks
That can be a challenge; once trees are larger. But you could start cutting it back by 1/3 of the tree each time you prune but then think of it as a three year process. If you want to check it out, in our live pruning class someone asked that same question, you can see my answer around the 11th minute I think: ruclips.net/video/9Tl81oIShBs/видео.html
Informative video, thank you. Are these trees on dwarfing rootstock or can this technique be used for non-dwarfing fruit trees too?
No, but these trees are all on semi-dwarfing rootstock (which is not really very 'dwarfing'). Theoretically it could be used on standard rootstock as well, but we haven't tried that.
First, thank you so much for your videos! They have by far been the most informative!!! Second, when did you cut the lead branch? I would like to keep a couple apples at that size and I will be getting them in the ground soon. They are leafed out and about 1 1/2' tall. And I dont want them to get too tall before I make that cut. Thank you!
That doesn't sound very tall yet, which is a good think. Assuming they are still young trees, I would make that low heading cut (if you want that small bush type shape) this coming late winter or early spring before they leaf out.
Also, I wanted to let you know that our own apples and pears we have pruned more to what's called a modified central leader. We still keep them small with summer pruning but they do have more of a trunk and two tiers of branches instead of just one for the stone fruit in this video.
To see the modified central leader, check out our recorded class 'Class: Summer Pruning Fruit Trees to Keep Them Small and Healthy'. I think we show and feature modified central leader pears and apples toward the end of the video.
@@foodscapingutah5239 thank you for the information!! And I will check out that video.
Is there a general rule for controlling the size of the tree? For example, I have two starfruits on order that I will put in my greenhouse with an 8' high roof (at the back). (This is attached to my house and will be a zone 10 greenhouse in zone 7 Delaware). So say I only want the star fruit to grow to 6 or 7 feet, should I do my dramatic cut at 3' high to end up with a 6-ish foot tree or 3.5' for a 7ish foot tree or is there some other rule to follow? Thank you for the great videos, I bought your book (er, Anne's book that is!) and I'm excited to get started.
Glad the videos are helpful! For the height of the first year dormant cut, there isn't really a rule of thumb. You could have a cut and scaffolding start at 3' for a 7 foot tree or at 18" for a 7 foot tree. I'd prefer a lower cut so that you can have more fruiting wood in the space that you have, but sometimes it might make since to have more trunk and the branching start higher.
Just learning abouy this type of pruning, Can you do this to mature plum trees?
Hi Irene, once the tree is already mature and large it is much harder to make it smaller. That said, you can definitely prune it in the summer to keep it from getting much larger and you can try to reduce size by pruning heavily in the summer for the next three years or so, aiming to take off about 1/3 of the tree per year.
Dave, I like your video . Can you help me understand and/or do something in my shanxi li jujube tree. It blooms a lot but no fruits in the 3 and 4 years. Any suggestions on how to have this tree to bear fruits. Not just blooming?
I can't really help with jujube because I don't have any experience with jujube trees. In general if a tree is flowering and not fruiting it could be a pollination problem? Or would it be possible that you are losing the flowers to frost damage?
...Sorry I can't really help with jujube.
Thanks for all your videos. They are very helpful! Are you doing any grafting? Especially interested in Apple tree grafts. Looking to graft onto some crab apples i discovered in my yard up in Eden. Thanks again. E
Hi Eric. Glad our videos are helpful! We are in fact doing some grafting! I have some pear cuttings in the fridge that we might use as scion wood to graft onto a flowering pear. Grafting apple to crab apple is certainly possible. If you haven’t already, check out USU extension’s apple grafting videos: ruclips.net/video/dAZ-rpSYeVQ/видео.html
Hi Eric. Just in case you didn't see our new grafting video yet, here you go: ruclips.net/video/qZCNsSj2dR0/видео.html
I planted my first orchard very end of June. My trees are all producing new growth. But I am worried some are too tall and I need to prune them as I want to try this little fruit tree method. Is it too late to prune them? Should I wait until they are dormant? Thank you.
hey there! i'm going to trim mine too. what if my fruit tree has a ton of white blossoms on it though? (citrus). bad time to prune? should i wait until the blossoms all drop to prune as you are doing?
It should be fine to prune citrus any time of year. I believe it is traditionally done in the spring.
Does that type of pruning also apply to citrus fruit?
We only have citrus in pots so we haven't tried heavy pruning for size control. I would say though citrus could also be kept small with pruning. However, since the annual growth of citrus is different, it would definitely be somewhat different.
Thank you. I enjoyed this very much.
You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed it.
Does your flavor supreme set fruit? I’ve got some grafts that are small but it has a reputation for flowering but not pollinating.
Man you look like American version of Martin Crawford :)
Thanks!!
Could I do the same thing, but to a larger tree? Last summer I planted an apple tree that I would like to keep around 6 feet with a tighter radial growth
These trimming techniques to keep fruit trees small are what I've been looking for, can I do the same to American Persimmon trees? they're supposed to growup to 30 feet. Which size is better to purchase to do this, 3-4, 4-5 or 5-6 feet? and would trimming like this delay the fruit productions by a lot?? Thanks.
These techniques should be fine on American Persimmon, but you might need extra pruning each summer because of how vigorous they are. I'd get the smallest/youngest tree you can find. And no, it won't delay fruit production, you don't want it fruiting earlier anyway. It's recommended to take any fruit off in the first two growing seasons. Small harvest the third, depending on the tree. It might take longer for persimmons, but I'm not sure.
@@foodscapingutah5239 Fantastic. Thank you.
Great video with lots of information for me. I’ve bought an almond tree in container, although I think, it was only potted before shipping. It is already big, about 150 meters tall, with the branching on around 1 meter height. Do you think I can still cut it to 50-75 cm height in Februar, when it’s dormant, even if it’s already older than 1 year in the container? Since I only have a tiny garden, I want it to stay small. Thank you so much 🙏
Glad you liked the video. I think you would still be able to cut it low this February. Depending on your climate, your almond may already be coming out of dormancy in February, so you'd want to prune earlier. The more you prune off, the more vigorous the growth will be when it breaks dormancy. Almonds tend to be vigorous growers, unless you bought a genetic dwarf like All-in-one. To keep it small you may want to do two summer prunings.
Foodscaping Utah thank you so much for your answer. I don’t think, I have a dwarf variety, although they say, this „Princess“ variety is self-fertile and is a slow grower. I’m in South Germany. You’re probably right, I have to prune in January. I guess, I have to simply experiment. Thanks again 🙏
150 meters tall? It must the tallest tree in the world beating Hyperion (current record holder at about 115 meters)... just wow..
That's amazing!
How did they ship that giant tree? My guess, heavy lift cargo helicopter.
That's amazing!
How did they ship that giant tree? My guess, heavy lift cargo helicopter.
what happens if you prune in November or fall? Is that too late to make heading cuts and keep size down?
are you starting with dwarf trees or semi-dwarf?
so if you want them so small why not buy dwarf? i plan on adding trees next year and cant decide between semi dwarf or dwarf. thanks
Good question. Definitely worth consideration and researching the particular rootstock characteristics of whatever rootstock you choose. In our case, semi dwarf made the most sense because we could grow lots of different varieties and fruits on citation rootstock to have their growth be similar and not have any one dominant plantings. Citation also tends to perform well in clay soils.
With dwarf rootstock, there might not be as many options and many of the dwarf stock need a support structure for the life of the tree. Maybe not if you can find genetic dwarf material, but I’d definitely to what you can to research the rootstocks you are interested in.
I planted a few trees this spring, but didn't know about this strategy yet. Now it's summer and I haven't done the first drastic cut yet. I feel pretty confident about where/how to cut the nectarine, it has low scaffold branches, but my fig and cherry have their scaffold branches maybe 4 feet up. If I cut them to 2 feet, I'll be taking off all the branches and all the leaves leaving just a stump... Is this still the right move? Or should I top it just above those first branches and wait till next year hoping more branches grow lower, and take more off the second year? I'm afraid I'll kill my beautiful trees!
Do you worry about sun burn after removing all the canopy?
Hi Emily. That’s a tough call. Some trees would respond well to low cuts. It’s also definitely a factor how old the wood is. You could try it but it all depends on what the trees have for dormant buds at that lower height. Sorry to not have a definitive answer for you!
What pruning shears do you use?
I live in the deep south. Would I follow these same steps to keep my pear trees small?
Yes. I would definitely follow the same guidelines for pears, but as for pruning shape, for apples and pears we use a modified-central leader system.
As for your climate, I would just be extra careful about spreading disease...disinfect tools, avoid pruning during rainy, wet weather, etc. I'm not sure, but I would guess that diseases like fire blight are more prevalent in your climate.
We just recorded a class on Saturday, toward the end we showed one of our pears trees and talked about its modified central leader shape: ruclips.net/video/9Tl81oIShBs/видео.html
Can you do this with mango trees?
Hi Jeremy! We don't have any experience with mango trees unfortunately, so I can't really say for sure. But, I would guess that they could be kept smaller with judicious pruning. In general, pruning mangos would be a somewhat different than stone fruit since they do not loose their leaves in the winter. I'd say experiment with it and let us know how it goes!
Why in the summer but not in the fall or early spring? Is the summer a good time for pruning?
Summer pruning helps control size. I explain the rational in the first part of this video and also in our recorded live class: ruclips.net/user/live9Tl81oIShBs?feature=share
What type of almond is that? I'm looking to plant 1 in North Ogden. Is it self fertile? Do you have any suggestions on good varieties for Ogden, and a good source for almond and other fruit trees? Thanks
Hi Eric! The almond featured in the video is a nonpareil. It is an excellent variety but needs a pollinator. Ours is pollinated by All-In-One which is also a good variety. It is self fertile, so it would be great if you are only planting one. However, All-in-one is a genetic dwarf, so won’t grow as quickly or as large. Another pollinator option is Ne Plus. Valley Nursery in Uintah sells both nonpareil and ne plus, and they might have also started selling all-in-one. For sources, we like Valley Nursery locally or ordering online from Bay Laurel Nursery in CA or Raintree in WA (not sure they carry almonds, but they have an amazing selection of apples and pears).
@@foodscapingutah5239 Thanks for the quick and detailed reply! Doing the research now to be ready for spring planting.
What do you have growing on that tree next to the nectarines? With the bags covering the fruit?
That's a pear tree! The bags are organza bags to protect the pears from coddling moth larvae...we bag our apples and pears. Here's our video on it: ruclips.net/video/7h3y_4b2mcQ/видео.html
@@foodscapingutah5239 awesome!
13 x 9 is an apartment in Mumbai
That'd definitely be a small space to grow two pluot trees!
Will the same methods apply to keeping a redbud tree small? I have one volunteering in my driveway and I want to keep it, but I also want to park my car. 😁
Yes, it should work similarly for a redbud.
I have a peach and a nectarine that will have their second pruning this year. I didn’t know this trick to keep them smaller, is it too late? Can I cut it down or will that ruin it?
Hi Amy, it's definitely not too late to adopt summer pruning for size control but the older a tree is the more risky it is to make a low heading cut. If you already have some branching down low, you could just prune above that to take the middle out and just use what you have for branching. If not, you could wait to prune to see if some of the buds along the trunk start to swell (most of ours are already swelling in Ogden, UT). And, if they are swelling, you should be fine pruning above them. Hope this helps!
How does it look now?
Looking good. We've had to stay on top of the pruning to keep them small, but it's working. In this video you can see them at the end of May 2020: ruclips.net/video/uIYU0kCyVqU/видео.html
You can also get a decent look at them in this tour from August 2020: ruclips.net/video/PoWj6VIPg0c/видео.html
nice!
Question: are these trees on standard, semi dwarf, or dwarf rootstocks? And can this technique be applied to trees on standard rootstocks?
All of our fruit trees are on semi-dwarf rootstock. The ones in the video are on Citation. We don't have experience with standard rootstocks so I can't really say. But, according to Dave Wilson Nursery's videos you can use standard and should pick the rootstock according to what works best in your location for your climate and soil. So it might be worth a try if you have a reason to prefer standard?
@@foodscapingutah5239 well I'm growing in pots so rootstock a bit less important since I don't grow in my native soil. I just took the standard trees, the ones that grow 18-25ft, because it said the 6ft ones need staking. I can't stake them really so I took the big ones and watched your series.
I have alot of citrus is my backyard, does anyone know if standard trees can be kept under 7 ft without hurting the tree?
Unfortunately we don't have a lot of experience with citrus trees. I imagine pruning can control size to a certain extent, but being evergreen citrus would probably respond somewhat differently. For more on pruning citrus, I'd check out the book Pruning & Training from the American Horticultural Society.
Bla bla bla just get on with it