If this video was helpful, please *LIKE* it and share it to help spread its reach! Thanks for watching 🙂TIMESTAMPS here: 0:00 Introduction 0:39 Reason To Prune #1 5:33 How To Prune A Tree: Tree Pruning Tips 6:33 Reason To Prune #2 9:51 These Huge Harvests Are Proof! 11:08 Reason To Prune #3 13:48 Pruning Potted Trees 16:19 Adventures With Dale
@@TheMillennialGardener Yes, thank you very much! I've been watching your videos and that of many others. It is awesome to see many of you being AVID GARDENERS and are zealous about doing the most HEALTHY WAY of FOOD PRODUCTION. Yay!!!💥💯👌
@TheMillennialGardener Sure, Mr. Millenial Gardener! I watched some of these months ago...and have pruned my persimmon and peach tree just like what you have said. Thanks much!
I have 14 fruit trees back home in Canada and I trim them back every year and my neighbours are always surprised and shocked that my small trees out produce their huge trees every year. I’m currently on vacation in Colombia and YOU would looooooove it here with all the amazing tropical fruit trees that grow here everywhere. Cheers from Tulua, Colombia 🇨🇴
I’ve got a lemon tree that grows like a weed. After noticing a lot of mould and pests like mealy bugs and fruit fly on the fruit last year, I decided to aggressively prune and thin out the tree. I figured that it produced much more fruit than we were able to consume anyway (even juicing it and giving away bottles and bottles to friends and neighbours,) so even if I did too much, it wouldn’t be a problem. Turns out, I could probably have done more and it is fuller than ever, this year! But the pest damage and mould on the fruit was sooooo much better, this year! I’m going to prune again, to promote healthy growth and good airflow between the branches and not worry about how much I will cut down on quantity of fruit, now that I have seen how much better the fruit quality is!
Weak wood can harbor a lot of insect pests. Clearing out that dead wood is a great way to reduce pest populations. Same thing with weakened leaves. Insects love laying their eggs underneath leaves for protection, and weakened/discolored leaves are the most susceptible to this.
I,m 70, have been a follower for at least 18 months. Anyway, I’ve been Very ill, the last 6 weeks,including 2 weeks in the hospital. Your channel,, is wonderful to have to keep me going. By the way, i have 2 Orchards. 1 in ground 40 trees. The other 40 + potted fruit trees. Thank you very much ,for your Videos. Form Sebastian Florida,
I'm very glad to hear I can help you get through the illness. I truly hope you get better soon! Do everything you can to push through it. Your trees need you! God bless 🙏
You always do such a great job with the "why" in everything you discuss. As one who's always looking to know more, I appreciate the work you put into explaining things. Thanks! Any time I have a gardening question, you're one of the sources I check first. :)
It's important to understand that a tree can't outgrow its roots, just like you can't build a building taller than its foundation can accommodate. If your tree isn't growing, it's because the roots either haven't grown enough yet when young, or the roots can't grow any larger and can't support additional top growth.
Thank you! I learn so much from this channel. I was thinking of one wild fruit tree that actually is a prolific producer in its natural setting, and that is the American persimmon. I grew up in Virginia and we had a tree near my home that produced so much fruit each year-the problem is that it only produced fruit when it was mature and that meant that it could be 50-60 feet tall, and the only way to get the fruit was to wait until it fell off the tree. The fruit is so fragile that being dropped 50 ft to the ground below doesn’t leave much to enjoy and I imagine that’s why they have never been grown commercially. But I still love them-I love the smell of the fruit on the ground in the fall.
I prune all my fruit trees to keep them fairly small. I planted a mini orchard a couple of years ago and the fruit is fabulous. No food miles and no nasty spraying.
When I lived in Tennessee, my figs grew in more of a bush habit than tree. I cut them back to the ground every year, and by fall they were 15 feet tall. They produced so many figs!
The Subtropical Tennessee is too cold for your fig? I recommend 'Flat Uzbek Yellow', very soft and sweet, also harvests two times annually. Love from China🥰
Figs in Tennessee will frequently die back to the ground, which causes lots of re-sprouting from the base and a bush-like growth habit. The insane production was because your figs were always made up of nearly 100% new season's wood, so every inch of every branch was a fruiting node. Nature was pruning your trees for you, so you always had crazy amounts of fruitwood.
Great video! I'm so bad about pruning but I'm trying to do better. This will help reinforce why I need to make this a priority each year for all my fruit trees. Thank you!
This is where bonsai knowledge comes from. You can actually treat and remove deadwood giving the tree the ability to heal through the wound instead of removal and restarting.
Yet again, another incredibly useful video! Looking forward to some better weather days to get out for some more pruning, and I can’t wait for Spring to get some new trees in-ground!
Nice. We have a persimmon tree that we pruned a couple of years ago and it has so many persimmons it was amazing. I think it's time to prune again. Thank you!
"I mean, look at all the lemons under there ... have you see such a thing?!" .... I literally blurted out "No! I freaking have not! ...." great vid, thanks, i'm eyeballing my New Improved Meyer Lemon bush in a planter that I bought from Costco ... I have plans now ...
I’ve watched all the old, low quality videos from Dave Wilson Nursery featuring Tom Spellman…his advice is so good. I finally am starting to get this fruit tree pruning thing. It takes time, but pruning with a purpose is where it’s at.
@emkn1479 He's been a staple in backyard orchard growers, and recommended everywhere! Do you know if he has a book? I'm old school and so much better with something in hand
@ I have no idea…I’m sure you could search online…I just listen to and watch the videos over and over and eventually it starts to sink in. He really does have a great way of explaining things.
Pruning is counter-intuitive to us humans, since we generally like to keep our limbs 😅 It's hard for us to imagine that removing wood actually increases the health of a tree, but it's true. They don't have the ability to clean off the old and damaged wood, so we actually help them live longer and stronger by balancing their growth, keeping them symmetrical and clearing out that old wood.
Im at Raleigh area , usually watch u for encouragement,the weather pruned my trees, this year, 😞😞😞last year this time, my trees were all green, just used one cover but this year all my leaves fell off and hoping it comes back spring time,
This year has been *dramatically* colder than last year. We only really had one truly cold week last year in January where we hit the teens two nights in a row. This year, the teens came the first week of December. If your trees are deciduous, they simply went dormant a lot earlier, because the cold came a month and a half earlier this year than last.
We planted a young peach tree just 2.5 years ago and have kept up with pruning, this past season at just 6 feet tall and 2 feet wide the tree produced 27 peaches haha, we cut most off so the tree would put more effort into growth and roots but we still got 14 amazing peaches off of it
I believe peach trees only grow fruit in the previous year’s growth. So you prune older growth and keep last year’s growth. This makes it tricky in shaping and keeping fruiting wood.
You have to be very careful when pruning apples, because they are one of the rare fruit trees that do not fruit on the new season's growth. They fruit on the spurs, which continue to produce for many years. If you remove the spurs that form on the older wood, the apple will not fruit. Hopefully, you were aware of that before pruning. If you don't know what apple spurs are, I recommend reading something like this: Identifying spurs: www.rhs.org.uk/fruit/apples/identifying-fruit-buds Pruning technique: stonepostgardens.com/pruned-apple-tree-before-and-after/
I would like to see you actually prune fruit trees. I bought apples in the supermarket. They were all sprouting seeds in the apples. I was so amazed I planted them and then planted every seeded fruit I bought. They are 3 yrs, the oldest so I need to know how to prune. Blessings, Bonny
I knew most of this but still enjoyed watching. Be a neat video to show all your fruit trees at every age(since I’m sure you have footage of most of them at each year. ) Seeing how big the fig espalier has gotten is eye opening.
This is timely and helpful. Also, how about a container fruit tree video? I'm surprised to see your lime and lemon trees outside given how cold it is (I'm in the same zone in NC), so would appreciate tips for that. My Meyer Lemon (2 years) has done nothing - I'm going to prune it back per your reco, while my new $10 Walmart lime tree finds this fall have had 3 limes growing for months and have been blooming indoors (no fruit set yet) since I brought them in approx 6 weeks ago or so. Appreciate your videos!
I have a fuji apple tree that seems to do well with pruning every other year. The one time I did back to back winter pruning, I didn't get any apples after the second pruning. Now I get lots of apples and the tree stays in a good shape.
Thank you for this information. I have about 11 trees in pots that are about 3 years old. I’ve always hesitated on heavily pruning but now I know I need to be a bit more aggressive. I also have in-ground a meyer lemon and a tangerine tree. Both were planted by my grandparents between 15-20 years ago. I noticed this year the Meyer lemon tree, although it actually had a ton of fruit on it but small, the tree was looking a little sad. So it definitely needs some TLC this year. My problem with the pruning of the citrus is knowing exactly when to do it. It always feels like there’s buds growing by the time I’m finished with harvesting. So then I don’t prune because I don’t want to cut off the buds.😢 When is the right time to prune citrus. I’m in Central California. Any tips from anyone who knows would be much appreciated.
It depends on the species of tree. Some cuttings, like figs, root readily and easily. Some cuttings, like citrus, can be rooted with carefully controlled processes and rooting hormone (I've never been successful). Some things, like pawpaw's, persimmons, avocados, etc. are nearly impossible to root and you have to graft them onto rootstock.
@@savvy2639look up air layering. It looks super easy to do and a better rate of getting roots to grow. I'm going to try it on my young Apple Trees. I figure if I am going to cut off branches, I might as well create new ones. But I have property and friends who would want them if it's too many for my liking.
@DanlowMusic 🤣 I've seen that before but did not know it was called air layering- so thanks for that. I guess you could do something like that before plant goes dormant for winter within the thoughts of pruning later. I guess ive watched too many video or folks propagating dormant plant cuttings so I was curious if it was possible. who doesn't want to have more plants and trees for use sharing. blessings to you 🙏
Interesting, what you said about lack of competition at the 9min mark contradicts the idea of food forest, and Miyawaki method planting, where competition is the key to vigorous growth and symbiotic soil fungal networks...
Thanks for all the info, love your channel it has been exceptionally helpful these last couple of years. I am starting my first "Orchard" this year and I have my work cut out for me here in CO. I am more confident thanks to you and your videos.
The pruning video is linked in the video description. It'll show you what you need to know. Although, apple trees fruit on spurs, so they need to be pruned specifically to preserve the fruit spurs.
I learn so much from you. And I get as much from the comments and your responses as I do the video itself. Thank You! I really want to put my citrus in the ground. Zone 8a, Georgia, but I'm still chicken. They are older trees in pots - about 10 years now - and I don't get a lot of fruit production and want more. Do you have any guidelines on placement in the yard? What is more important - number of hours of sun (year round) or intensity of sun (dappled vs full). I have a couple of places I could put them, but don't want to plant where they won't thrive.
Will you be making a video of pruning those 6 fig trees from the beginning of the video? My father in law has a similar sized tree and I’m terrified to cut it in half, but watching you do it will give me more confidence. Ha. Thanks
I placed a link in the video description for a detailed pruning video. Specifically, for figs, I have a dedicated series to my espalier trees here: ruclips.net/p/PL1gY7BoYBGIFlbg2ri_7gCJPhXaZ_nOvy&si=Xqp_IIep-9UI1j6p
I planted two Heart Walnut bare root trees last year. Should I prune them back during their dormant period this winter? Enjoyed your lesson greatly, thanks!
Hey great video as always! I have a couple apple trees 3-5 years old. I am not sure when it happened but they have settled in there planting holes, the graft is now in contact with the soil and there are several serious roots from above the graft going down into the soil. Any suggestions on how to fix this? Should I just leave it alone or try to dig up the tree trim of all the roots above the graft and replant it higher in the ground?
Thank you!!! I really needed someone to push me to cutting my fruit trees. I knew I had to prune them but I was just scared to do so. Just one question, I should prune them on a sunny day or it doesn't matter if I prune on rainy day?
The important thing is that you prune your deciduous trees *when dormant.* Do not rush the process. It's best to prune them in late winter after they have achieved full dormancy and the worst of the cold weather has passed, but before any sap flow returns or any buds begin to swell. For example, here in NC, my last chance of frost is usually last week of March/first week of April, and I do my pruning in early to mid-February. This gets me through the worst of winter, but the trees are still fully dormant. For evergreen trees, like an avocado, citrus, mango, guava, etc., you are generally going to want to prune them after you remove the harvest. That gives them the maximum amount of time to recover before the next blooming cycle. If you have a tree that takes more than an entire year to ripen fruit, like some avocados do, you may simply never get a timeframe where the tree is bare to prune. In those cases, a lot of growers prune half the tree at a time or just periodically trim it throughout the year to keep it in check and remove any old/inward-growing wood.
Dry days are preferable to reduce spread of disease. Avoid pruning apricots and cherries during the winter as they're highly susceptible to disease from pruning during wet weather; August into September best.
@@LEADERINFRONT Thank you for your advice. So, I should wait to prune my aprium and pluots because where I live in France rains a lot. We have only cloudy days and rainny days. Haven't seen the sun for looooong time. So sad😭
Annually, after harvest. I lightly prune/shape/tip my citrus trees after I pick them clean, which is usually January/February. That gives them the maximum amount of time to recover before the bloom cycle in May.
Was out at a farm store and picked up an interesting sweet corn variety Martian Jewels. Something different to try this year have been and will continue to prune my fruit trees foe a little while now. Not very nice out this week slightly warmer next week.
I grew that 2 years ago! It was very interesting. I'll say it wasn't quite as sweet as some of this crazy super-sweet hybrids they've developed over the last generation of breeding, but it was pretty good.
Love the vid. While I don't have fruit trees now; I'm contemplating maybe doing a couple next year. Funny Dirty Dale. I just gave my boy a bath this afternoon. ❤❤❤
You guys are in line for some bad weather. Stay warm. My 5.5lb dog boy keeps me warm. I can only imagine Dandy Dale. I'd burn up with that much heat. Lol
Im in the PNW on new to me 3 acres. Its January and just n o w freezing at night. I fear trimming now due to damage to the young fruit trees at the cuts i planted last year. My question.... should i suck up my fear or wait till this freezing weather is over? Also your so correct as i trimed an old neglected Magnolia agressively last year and it rewarded us with an amazing blooming show! I also am planting 10 young Dogwood and Japanese Maples any advice? Thank you so much for sharing your valuable knowledge!!
I have a fig, pomegranate and Meyer lemon in pots. I’ve read that I should lift the tree out of the pot and loosen up the root ball and add dirt. My question is should i lift the root ball first then trim the tree or trim it first then thin out the root ball? Thank you love the videos.
Very informative video. I’m in Virginia on the coast. I have 2 Asian pear trees that the squirrels devour every year. My question is one of them is about 15 feet tall and the other is probably 30+ feet. Is it too late to prune them? They have never been pruned. Also, there are limbs that grow straight up. Can I just prune these out or any beneficial reason to keep them? Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge.
For the tree that is 15 feet tall, watch my video in the description on pruning. I used my 12-15 ft tall persimmon as an example (ruclips.net/video/UKiDItwCR_o/видео.htmlsi=IWy-uMkPuVy-2xk3). The 30 ft tree is going to be a challenge, because it doesn't have the "skeletal system" set up for pruning. It's best to be aggressive when pruning trees when they are young, because once you establish that skeletal system, you basically just cut the tree back to the same spot annually, plus removing the dead and dying wood. Topping large trees is a more stressful endeavor. The answer is, yes, you *can* prune the larger tree back, but it's not as simple as a younger tree. Younger trees bounce back immediately, but cutting the big tree back will probably result in it taking a year or two to recover. I think you basically have two options: 1. You can try a modest pruning, where you go through the tree and cut out all inward-facing growth and any dead/dying/knotted wood, but not significantly alter the skeletal structure of the tree. This would help the tree fruit more by allowing more light into the canopy and eliminate points of weakness for disease and pests without significantly altering the trajectory of the tree, so it would likely fruit better. However, it would still basically be the same size. 2. If you want to control the growth of the tree, you could consider stumping it, similar to what they do in avocado orchards: ruclips.net/video/51_cX_RQfSI/видео.htmlsi=fUMoEz7B1gioT8Cr This would take the tree very low to the ground so it re-sprouts and forms a whole new skeletal structure, which you could then shape from Square One into the exact tree you want. But, the downsides are it'll probably take 2 entire years to re-grow and fruit again, and if for some reason your tree is very old and tired, you do risk the tree not coming back. I don't know how vigorous your Asian pear is compared to an avocado. This would be a risk. Asian pears are usually naturally semi-dwarf, so I have a feeling for it to be *that tall,* it must be pretty old. Keep in mind, if you DO stump the tree, you MUST cut it ABOVE THE GRAFT. If you cut it below the graft, only the rootstock will come back and you'll lose the named variety. Just some things to consider.
@@TheMillennialGardenerI think it depends on the tree. I cut the top almost 1/3 out of an apple my Dad had neglected and it produced for the first time in years. Now the plum tree. Definitely going to be over a 3 year period with how huge it is. I already started some cuttings from it last summer so if it becomes a failure I have that delicious fruit it produced. (Which was very little, probably because of squirrels and birds)
I just cut anything that goes straight to the sky. My brother who plantes two walnut trees according to the paperwork but i think they are going to grow huge. I have not trimmed them. I had called a tree company but they failed to show up twice. I have cut my apple, pear and apricot but not sure about the walnut ones
Walnut trees, left to grow on their own, will become very large. If you want to keep nut trees controlled in size, you have to start from the moment you plant them and keep them in check by developing the "skeletal structure" of the tree from an early age. Once you let them get a few years old, they'll get away from you and you probably won't be able to do much unless you stump them and start over, which has its risks, too. I'm not much of an expert on growing nuts, because you usually need two trees and they get gigantic. The only nut tree I am growing is an All In One Almond, because it's self-fertile and a natural semi-dwarf. Pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc. can become giant, and smaller trees like macadamias are tropical and frost sensitive.
Thanks for all your great information! I am about 2 hours down the coast in SC. I have a Washington Navel that fruited this year for the first time. I got 45 sweet beautiful oranges! I have been pruning this weekend for the first time. It looks like I have butchered the tree, but I know it'll come back. In the video you mentioned that this winter has been especially hard. We've had several nights with temps in the low 20s. My tree is out in the yard with no protection from the cold. I see plenty of curled and twisted leaves that looked normal a few weeks back. What do you recommend for cold nights like we've had recently? Do you protect your trees in any way? Do you water the trees in winter? Thanks
I am very aggressive at pruning my Meyer Lemon. It would be 4-5x the size it is now if I let it go. I keep it as a small hedge, and as you can see, it doesn't mind.
Thank you for the very educational video! I am going to prune my fig tree after sending this message lol! I live in Charleston, SC. I have blueberry bushes (never been pruned in 4 years, oops!) that have already started flowering just like your key lime after the same December cold snap. The last 2 years I have lost 90% of my blueberries due to this. I have them under winter plant blankets as well. What is the best to do to keep the buds from dying off with the next unexpected cold snap? Should I prune them back now?
Great info. I just planted my apple tree and peach tree last summer. Do I still need to trim them? That’s what I call my pups “dirty mutt” lol. Thanks for sharing your valuable knowledge.
Yes. More-so than ever. The younger the tree, the more you have to prune it. Years 1, 2 and 3 is when you must establish the skeletal structure of the tree that you want. Once you get your desired form, pruning simply becomes an annual exercise of removing dead/dying wood, removing inward growth and trimming the tree back to its skeletal frame and keeping everything balanced and symmetrical.
Thank you for this video sir. I wonder if this rule is applied to crepe myrtle trees. I have been pruning it yearly but the flowers are dull and not plentiful. also there are holes coming into the base of the trunk now. Any suggestions are appreciated. Happy New Year!!
Great video! If you wouldn't mind, I have a question about your experience growing citrus in ground. I'm growing Owari Satsuma, Nagami Kumquat, Meyer Lemon, and Loquat in-ground here in zone 7b South Jersey. So far, my trees are doing great with your method of frost cloths and incandescent lights. They handled a night at 9 degrees already. The temps in the day time here have been steadily around 32-42 degrees Fahrenheit. I remember in one of your videos you mentioned that you only use the frost cloths when temps get really low. I am finding it difficult to gauge at what temps I should remove the frost cloths. At what temps do you decide to put the frost cloths on?
Wow. Zone 7b NJ growing citrus. I imagine you're in Cape May or Atlantic County? That is going to be interesting! There are three things you have to look out for: 1. When you see "cold hardiness" of citrus trees, that is kill-temperatures for mature trees. For example, Owari Satsuma is hardy to somewhere around 12-15 degrees when mature, but it'll take major damage at those temps. It may not die...but it'll be ROUGH and you'll be cutting back a lot of dead wood. Young satsumas will easily die at those temps. My general rule is if there is any risk of it falling into the 20's at all, the covers and lights go on. I don't let my trees face 20's without some sort of protection. 2. Fruit is generally damaged around 25-26. In many cases, the fruit is less hardy than the trees. My Owari could easily take 25 degrees at its age, but the fruit can't, and it's covered in 100 lbs of fruit. It's been under jackets for the last 10 days, and it looks like it will be for the next 10 days. 3. Time spent below freezing is as important, maybe more important, than absolute minimum. The challenge with NJ is they spend *many days* where temps don't break above freezing. Here in NC, we always get above freezing 365 days a year, so my trees never spend more than half a day below freezing. Ensuring your trees warm back up during the day is so important. I strongly recommend, in your case, you leave your citrus trees in 1.5 oz plant jackets throughout the winter, removing them only to harvest the fruit. Just as important as the plant jacket's ability to lock in the warmth of incandescent lights and water barrels during the night to keep them warm is the plant jacket's ability to capture sunlight during the day to warm them back up. It's entirely possible a day that only gets to 23 degrees at night, but doesn't get warmer than 29 degrees during the day, is more harmful than a night that scrapes 18/19 degrees but shoots up to 50 during the day. I hope that makes sense. Duration of cold is just as important as absolute minimum, maybe more-so.
@@TheMillennialGardener Cherry Hill actually. Our cold hardiness zone got bumped up from 7a about a year ago which is what convinced me to plant my trees in the ground. These are awesome tips. Thank you so much!
I planted a bare root peach tree last year that took off well. I don't know if and when it should be pruned going into its first full year…. Late winter, early Spring or at all this coming year? New Hampshire here so it'll be until late April/ early May until things wake up. It's got nice buds on it though and really thickened up in the trunk.
No. I really dislike packing and shipping trees. It is a time consuming, arduous and expensive process, and with deliveries being constantly lost and late, it has a high rate of customer dissatisfaction. I leave that to the experts.
I like how you employed a personal trial as evidence. Lots of regurgitated misinformation out there. So, a lot of prevailing thoughts on leaving in-ground bush branching and not cutting back, but rather making thinning cuts defined as taking some of the taller branching back down to the ground as low as possible to keep "hormones in balance." The thoughts behind that type of pruning is to prevent all energy going into vegetative growth. It has been explained that fruiting will be minimal cutting back many branch's height. I'm new to figs, but common sense seems to tell me that figs grow on new wood and often at every new leaf so my thinking aligns with your explanation which I see as making more sense. More new branching, more production. And, old branching is only good for breba crops which are often inferior to main. Have you seen those folks' videos that advocate for thinning cuts vs topping cuts (cutting back)? What are your thoughts? I do know that my personal experience on some of what you speak to in containers is right on, and further thoughts are just thoughts at this time.
I am in Northern Illinois and have a Chicago Fig in a container. I would like to plant it in the ground and cut it to the ground every winter to protect the roots. But I have heard that the roots are so aggressive they will hurt other plants growing. Would you keep it in a container or do you think it's safe plant in the ground if it is 5 to 10 feet away from other trees/bushes/flowers?
It's best to aggressively prune your trees those first 2-3 years to get the exact frame that you want. That way, annual pruning is easy, because you'll just be removing inward-facing growth, dead/dying/diseased wood and basically cutting it back to the frame you developed.
I bought a house a few years ago with several gardens and a few fruit trees. I am disabled and had to let the gardens go because I couldn't care for them. I never even thought about pruning the trees. I'm afraid I am losing the huge black cherry tree that I adore. It definitely outgrew itself. I have a fig tree that has never produced, but grew around the edge of my porch roof. My peach tree, very small, just sort of petered out. I can't raise my arms for long so I can't use pruning sheers and I no longer have strength to squeeze them enough to cut. Would a light mini chainsaw work? I can't afford to hire someone. Also, what time of year should this be done? I am in New Mexico in the desert, and normally it is about 60F during the day, but still freezes at night, but this year has been much colder. Thank you for any advice.
No. I do not prune my tree for breba production. Brebas do not hold in my climate. I would watch this: ruclips.net/video/RB0D_tuKgtQ/видео.htmlsi=iC7t0mbuJZfd-Chs
First yes pruning does hurt the trees, Trees do feel pain, That said you are correct harsh pruning does increase fruit production, , orange groves will pull 50 years of fruit in a 20 year span the trees always fruit after s being in traumatized and chock , and they have to replace them every 15 to 20 years.
I planted blueberry bushes two years ago. Two of them have taken off with single shoots that grow straight up. Should I prune those single shoots to encourage more growth of the rest of the bush? I have some older bushes that were damaged that are also coming back with single shoots that are much longer than anything else on the bush. Should I prune those?
Is it better to wait until later in Winter to prune? When the forecast is to be warmer, colder, or same in the next few days? Or is anytime before budding good?
I planted a fig tree in November (Texas Gulf Coast 9b). I cut away the lower branches (below 2 feet) and thinned the branches when I planted it. It still has green leaves on it. Should I tip the branches? It's about 4 1/2 feet tall.
No. You are just starting to get a taste of cold right now. Never prune deciduous fruit trees significantly while they are not dormant. You are going to hit your peak of dormancy probably in another 30 days or so. I'd do the pruning in early February in your situation.
When do your container citrus typically flower? My kumquat flowered in September and October. But by the end of November all those flowers had fallen off without any fruit set. I didn’t know if I did something wrong or not. September I added a fertilizer stake. I thought maybe that was the problem.
It depends how large the trees are. If they are young, yes. Young fruit trees have to be heavily pruned to develop their shape. That is when you make the "big cuts" to create the skeleton of the tree you want. Then, pruning becomes a simple exercise of removing dead wood, inward growth and trimming it back to the frame you established. If your trees are large and have never been pruned, it is a lot more difficult. You'd have to make a lot of decisions.
Just a couple questions. 😊 I planted a fig sapling in a large pot last year. My intention was to eventually transplant it to my yard. However within the year it busted through the bottom of the pot and rooted into the ground. When is a good time to transplant to a new location? Also because the fig tree is still very young and small (it has maybe three small branches) should I prune this year or wait until it's more established? TIA
I still have citrus and other fruits on my trees right now. Should I wait to prune? Or pick al the fruit right now, even if unripe, and start pruning now? Zone 9b Florida. Thanks in advance.
When is best season to prune fruit trees, especially fig? Also when bruning should any futting compond be put on the larger cuttings to protect the tree from bugs?
I have answered this question many times in the comments. I would recommend you review those answers for a longer response. Deciduous trees are always pruned during total winter dormancy. All other trees are individual and must be pruned after harvest but well before blooming. Every evergreen species requires very specific timing based on the harvest and bloom cycle.
I received a citrus tree from a friend who was leaving the country. I do not know what type of citrus tree it is (container). Two years plus in, the tree is 3 times the size, I have never seen a flower on it. I plan to repot in the spring when I take it to the community garden for the full sun and place it in a larger container. The roots are at the top of the pot. In winter I keep on my balcony next to my sliding glass door for warmth, wrapped in plastic. The leaves survive the winter. Should I cut it back in April (I live in Washington, DC) and how much should this first cut be? Should I also be cutting back my blueberries?
I have a young Celeste Fig. I planted it a 5 gal bucket in October. I have it in an unheated garage over the winter ( zone 7a). It doesn't yet have any lateral limbs, just one main trunk about 5 ft tall. Does that main trunk need to be pruned down?
I watched a vid from another fig grower a few months ago where he said the question he gets asked most often is, "why is my fig tree not fruiting?" He gave some possible reasons. One reason he gave is the tree was pruned too aggressively. I started my fig trees from cuttings about this time last year. They are in 10 gallon containers and in storage (I'm in zone 6A). I was planning to give them all a couple of cups of water this weekend to moisten the roots. Now I'm wondering if I should prune them, too. It's confusing when the advise from experienced growers is seemingly in conflict.
I think the opposite is more likely true. People rarely over-prune their figs. The more than likely case why their figs aren’t fruiting is they aren’t pruning. People routinely grow figs in ground in cooler zones that die back every year and re-sprout. They always fruit profusely. Now, you *may run out of growing season* before they ripen. That is true. But figs that die back to the ground always fruit heavily. It is the people that don’t prune and fertilize that have issues.
I was wondering which nursery you purchased your Giombo Persimmon from? And is it grafted? Found one that is grafted on American persimmon rootstock and wasn’t sure if that mattered. Thanks!
Named varieties are going to be grafted trees. Always get your trees grafted. You want your trees grafted onto native American persimmon rootstock. My tree, specifically, is from Just Fruits and Exotics, and my other larger Asian persimmon is from PlantMeGreen. Of my new Asian persimmons, one is from One Green World, the other from Bob Wells. I buy my trees all over.
I wish I had pruned my flat peach tree sooner, because I ended up snapping it in half like a wishbone because it became too oversized with the wrong shape
If this video was helpful, please *LIKE* it and share it to help spread its reach! Thanks for watching 🙂TIMESTAMPS here:
0:00 Introduction
0:39 Reason To Prune #1
5:33 How To Prune A Tree: Tree Pruning Tips
6:33 Reason To Prune #2
9:51 These Huge Harvests Are Proof!
11:08 Reason To Prune #3
13:48 Pruning Potted Trees
16:19 Adventures With Dale
@@TheMillennialGardener Yes, thank you very much! I've been watching your videos and that of many others. It is awesome to see many of you being AVID GARDENERS and are zealous about doing the most HEALTHY WAY of FOOD PRODUCTION. Yay!!!💥💯👌
@@TheMillennialGardener thanks so much for your valuable info. 😁
@@savvy2639 you're welcome!
@@User5260jo thank you for watching the videos!
@TheMillennialGardener Sure, Mr. Millenial Gardener! I watched some of these months ago...and have pruned my persimmon and peach tree just like what you have said. Thanks much!
I have 14 fruit trees back home in Canada and I trim them back every year and my neighbours are always surprised and shocked that my small trees out produce their huge trees every year.
I’m currently on vacation in Colombia and YOU would looooooove it here with all the amazing tropical fruit trees that grow here everywhere. Cheers from Tulua, Colombia 🇨🇴
You are the Mr.Rogers of teaching others about gardening, plants and gardening. I have learned so much from you. Thank you
Agree...! He's an outstanding teacher...!
Except I own not a single sweater 😂
I’ve got a lemon tree that grows like a weed. After noticing a lot of mould and pests like mealy bugs and fruit fly on the fruit last year, I decided to aggressively prune and thin out the tree. I figured that it produced much more fruit than we were able to consume anyway (even juicing it and giving away bottles and bottles to friends and neighbours,) so even if I did too much, it wouldn’t be a problem. Turns out, I could probably have done more and it is fuller than ever, this year! But the pest damage and mould on the fruit was sooooo much better, this year! I’m going to prune again, to promote healthy growth and good airflow between the branches and not worry about how much I will cut down on quantity of fruit, now that I have seen how much better the fruit quality is!
Weak wood can harbor a lot of insect pests. Clearing out that dead wood is a great way to reduce pest populations. Same thing with weakened leaves. Insects love laying their eggs underneath leaves for protection, and weakened/discolored leaves are the most susceptible to this.
What do you use to fertilize your lemon tree?
Where do you live? Are your lemon trees in the ground? I’m in Charlotte, NC, and think it’s too cold to grow them in the ground. What do you think?
@@evelyncostello9584 Hi, I live in SW Florida.
Is this true for citrus trees ? WEY
I,m 70, have been a follower for at least 18 months. Anyway, I’ve been Very ill, the last 6 weeks,including 2 weeks in the hospital. Your channel,, is wonderful to have to keep me going. By the way, i have 2 Orchards. 1 in ground 40 trees. The other 40 + potted fruit trees. Thank you very much ,for your Videos. Form Sebastian Florida,
I'm very glad to hear I can help you get through the illness. I truly hope you get better soon! Do everything you can to push through it. Your trees need you! God bless 🙏
@TheMillennialGardener Thank you
Hope you are feeling better 🙏
@TexasNana2 Thank you,very much. I will know in 3 weeks. If I'm healed.
@robertjureit2574 🙏
You always do such a great job with the "why" in everything you discuss. As one who's always looking to know more, I appreciate the work you put into explaining things. Thanks! Any time I have a gardening question, you're one of the sources I check first. :)
What a brilliant explanation that when we prune new growth comes from the root capacity of the tree. That's helpful!
It's important to understand that a tree can't outgrow its roots, just like you can't build a building taller than its foundation can accommodate. If your tree isn't growing, it's because the roots either haven't grown enough yet when young, or the roots can't grow any larger and can't support additional top growth.
Thank you! I learn so much from this channel. I was thinking of one wild fruit tree that actually is a prolific producer in its natural setting, and that is the American persimmon. I grew up in Virginia and we had a tree near my home that produced so much fruit each year-the problem is that it only produced fruit when it was mature and that meant that it could be 50-60 feet tall, and the only way to get the fruit was to wait until it fell off the tree. The fruit is so fragile that being dropped 50 ft to the ground below doesn’t leave much to enjoy and I imagine that’s why they have never been grown commercially. But I still love them-I love the smell of the fruit on the ground in the fall.
Put a small trampoline under the tree 😊
Thank you so much...I am DEFINITELY PRUNING my lemons, limes, guavas, moringgas, pomegranates and passion fruit vine. Roses, too!🎉🌱🌹🌺🌿
You're welcome! I urge you to watch the pruning video I linked in the description. Remove that inward-growth and any dead wood, then tip.
Do you have a greenhouse or are these plants outside?
I am in Zone 10a and plants are outside.
What a totally wonderful video! Such depth and detail of explanation! Thank you so much! Saving this one forever. ❤
I prune all my fruit trees to keep them fairly small. I planted a mini orchard a couple of years ago and the fruit is fabulous. No food miles and no nasty spraying.
No store can beat what we can grow at home.
This is the most informative i have ever seen you. Great video. So many gems.
Thank you! I try to fit as much into as I can into about 15 minutes.
When I lived in Tennessee, my figs grew in more of a bush habit than tree. I cut them back to the ground every year, and by fall they were 15 feet tall. They produced so many figs!
The Subtropical Tennessee is too cold for your fig? I recommend 'Flat Uzbek Yellow', very soft and sweet, also harvests two times annually. Love from China🥰
Figs in Tennessee will frequently die back to the ground, which causes lots of re-sprouting from the base and a bush-like growth habit. The insane production was because your figs were always made up of nearly 100% new season's wood, so every inch of every branch was a fruiting node. Nature was pruning your trees for you, so you always had crazy amounts of fruitwood.
Great video! I'm so bad about pruning but I'm trying to do better. This will help reinforce why I need to make this a priority each year for all my fruit trees. Thank you!
This is where bonsai knowledge comes from. You can actually treat and remove deadwood giving the tree the ability to heal through the wound instead of removal and restarting.
Yet again, another incredibly useful video! Looking forward to some better weather days to get out for some more pruning, and I can’t wait for Spring to get some new trees in-ground!
Nice. We have a persimmon tree that we pruned a couple of years ago and it has so many persimmons it was amazing. I think it's time to prune again. Thank you!
Persimmons fruit on the new season's growth, so it's important to prune them to encourage the development of new fruiting wood.
"I mean, look at all the lemons under there ... have you see such a thing?!" .... I literally blurted out "No! I freaking have not! ...." great vid, thanks, i'm eyeballing my New Improved Meyer Lemon bush in a planter that I bought from Costco ... I have plans now ...
I’ve watched all the old, low quality videos from Dave Wilson Nursery featuring Tom Spellman…his advice is so good. I finally am starting to get this fruit tree pruning thing. It takes time, but pruning with a purpose is where it’s at.
@emkn1479 He's been a staple in backyard orchard growers, and recommended everywhere! Do you know if he has a book? I'm old school and so much better with something in hand
@ I have no idea…I’m sure you could search online…I just listen to and watch the videos over and over and eventually it starts to sink in. He really does have a great way of explaining things.
Pruning is counter-intuitive to us humans, since we generally like to keep our limbs 😅 It's hard for us to imagine that removing wood actually increases the health of a tree, but it's true. They don't have the ability to clean off the old and damaged wood, so we actually help them live longer and stronger by balancing their growth, keeping them symmetrical and clearing out that old wood.
@ yeah I totally get all that, it’s just the process of doing it that’s confusing. Understanding what each cut will prompt the tree to do.
@@emkn1479 that would be a great graphic to have visually!
Thank you so much for your response.❤
Your citrus is amazing!!!
Thanks! I have a video coming out about them later today.
Im at Raleigh area , usually watch u for encouragement,the weather pruned my trees, this year, 😞😞😞last year this time, my trees were all green, just used one cover but this year all my leaves fell off and hoping it comes back spring time,
This year has been *dramatically* colder than last year. We only really had one truly cold week last year in January where we hit the teens two nights in a row. This year, the teens came the first week of December. If your trees are deciduous, they simply went dormant a lot earlier, because the cold came a month and a half earlier this year than last.
@@TheMillennialGardenerthanks for the response, but your spirit for gardening is really inspiring
@@wop3asem97 The "weather pruned your trees" that literally happened to me here 50 miles away from Los Angeles. 😭
@@User5260jo Sorry my friend, hope you are safe
@@wop3asem97 Thank you! We are, by God's grace. We have a man cutting down a partially uprooted tree in our backyard. It leaned on our roof.
We planted a young peach tree just 2.5 years ago and have kept up with pruning, this past season at just 6 feet tall and 2 feet wide the tree produced 27 peaches haha, we cut most off so the tree would put more effort into growth and roots but we still got 14 amazing peaches off of it
I believe peach trees only grow fruit in the previous year’s growth. So you prune older growth and keep last year’s growth. This makes it tricky in shaping and keeping fruiting wood.
Fingers cross, I pruned my Honeycrisp apple tree in late Fall and I'm really hoping it will regrow for me. I also did the same for my Bing Cherry
You have to be very careful when pruning apples, because they are one of the rare fruit trees that do not fruit on the new season's growth. They fruit on the spurs, which continue to produce for many years. If you remove the spurs that form on the older wood, the apple will not fruit. Hopefully, you were aware of that before pruning. If you don't know what apple spurs are, I recommend reading something like this:
Identifying spurs: www.rhs.org.uk/fruit/apples/identifying-fruit-buds
Pruning technique: stonepostgardens.com/pruned-apple-tree-before-and-after/
Very well explained. Thank you!
I would like to see you actually prune fruit trees. I bought apples in the supermarket. They were all sprouting seeds in the apples. I was so amazed I planted them and then planted every seeded fruit I bought. They are 3 yrs, the oldest so I need to know how to prune.
Blessings,
Bonny
I knew most of this but still enjoyed watching. Be a neat video to show all your fruit trees at every age(since I’m sure you have footage of most of them at each year. ) Seeing how big the fig espalier has gotten is eye opening.
Great video. Thank you. So glad I found your channel.
This is timely and helpful. Also, how about a container fruit tree video? I'm surprised to see your lime and lemon trees outside given how cold it is (I'm in the same zone in NC), so would appreciate tips for that. My Meyer Lemon (2 years) has done nothing - I'm going to prune it back per your reco, while my new $10 Walmart lime tree finds this fall have had 3 limes growing for months and have been blooming indoors (no fruit set yet) since I brought them in approx 6 weeks ago or so. Appreciate your videos!
Thank you for explaining pruning whys so well.
You're welcome!
This was so informative
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Great video Anthony. Very detailed and full of information. Thanks for sharing
Glad you enjoyed it!
I have a fuji apple tree that seems to do well with pruning every other year. The one time I did back to back winter pruning, I didn't get any apples after the second pruning. Now I get lots of apples and the tree stays in a good shape.
Thank you for this information. I have about 11 trees in pots that are about 3 years old. I’ve always hesitated on heavily pruning but now I know I need to be a bit more aggressive. I also have in-ground a meyer lemon and a tangerine tree. Both were planted by my grandparents between 15-20 years ago. I noticed this year the Meyer lemon tree, although it actually had a ton of fruit on it but small, the tree was looking a little sad. So it definitely needs some TLC this year. My problem with the pruning of the citrus is knowing exactly when to do it. It always feels like there’s buds growing by the time I’m finished with harvesting. So then I don’t prune because I don’t want to cut off the buds.😢 When is the right time to prune citrus. I’m in Central California. Any tips from anyone who knows would be much appreciated.
I always enjoy your videos for the information and the humor. But to be honest the star of each video is Dale. Good boy Dale!
Yes, I agree. He is the star of the show.
wild question - can you root those pruned cuttings for more trees ?
love the lemon and mandarin trees. super trees.
thnx
It depends on the species of tree. Some cuttings, like figs, root readily and easily. Some cuttings, like citrus, can be rooted with carefully controlled processes and rooting hormone (I've never been successful). Some things, like pawpaw's, persimmons, avocados, etc. are nearly impossible to root and you have to graft them onto rootstock.
@TheMillennialGardener it was a wild thought.. appreciate the answer.. 😁
@@savvy2639look up air layering. It looks super easy to do and a better rate of getting roots to grow. I'm going to try it on my young Apple Trees. I figure if I am going to cut off branches, I might as well create new ones. But I have property and friends who would want them if it's too many for my liking.
@DanlowMusic will do. thanks for the tip 👍🏻😁
@DanlowMusic 🤣 I've seen that before but did not know it was called air layering- so thanks for that.
I guess you could do something like that before plant goes dormant for winter within the thoughts of pruning later. I guess ive watched too many video or folks propagating dormant plant cuttings so I was curious if it was possible. who doesn't want to have more plants and trees for use sharing. blessings to you 🙏
I learn so much from you, pruning makes sense now.😊😊
So much info!!! Thank you!!!
You're welcome!
Interesting, what you said about lack of competition at the 9min mark contradicts the idea of food forest, and Miyawaki method planting, where competition is the key to vigorous growth and symbiotic soil fungal networks...
Thanks for all the info, love your channel it has been exceptionally helpful these last couple of years. I am starting my first "Orchard" this year and I have my work cut out for me here in CO. I am more confident thanks to you and your videos.
That's outstanding! Best of luck!
Waiting for the pruning video, I planted apple trees this past fall
The pruning video is linked in the video description. It'll show you what you need to know. Although, apple trees fruit on spurs, so they need to be pruned specifically to preserve the fruit spurs.
@TheMillennialGardener good to know, thank you
And I feel like an idiot, I thought it was a separate video😂 whoops!
Thank you !
You're welcome!
Happy to see someone else espalier.
WOW AWESOME INFORMATION AND TEACHING. I'm saving this one too. Thank you so much Anthony 😊❤ Oh Dale I just Love you ❤😊
You're welcome! I'm glad I could help. Dale says thank you 🐕
Good video. I'm looking forward to seeing if my first plum tree will produce fruit this year.
That was excellent!!!!! Thank you.
You're very welcome!
I learn so much from you. And I get as much from the comments and your responses as I do the video itself. Thank You!
I really want to put my citrus in the ground. Zone 8a, Georgia, but I'm still chicken. They are older trees in pots - about 10 years now - and I don't get a lot of fruit production and want more.
Do you have any guidelines on placement in the yard? What is more important - number of hours of sun (year round) or intensity of sun (dappled vs full). I have a couple of places I could put them, but don't want to plant where they won't thrive.
Will you be making a video of pruning those 6 fig trees from the beginning of the video? My father in law has a similar sized tree and I’m terrified to cut it in half, but watching you do it will give me more confidence. Ha. Thanks
I placed a link in the video description for a detailed pruning video. Specifically, for figs, I have a dedicated series to my espalier trees here: ruclips.net/p/PL1gY7BoYBGIFlbg2ri_7gCJPhXaZ_nOvy&si=Xqp_IIep-9UI1j6p
@@TheMillennialGardener Thank you!
Good information!
Glad you found it helpful!
Thank you soo much
You're welcome! I'm glad I could help.
Great video. Thank you!!
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
I planted two Heart Walnut bare root trees last year. Should I prune them back during their dormant period this winter? Enjoyed your lesson greatly, thanks!
Hey great video as always! I have a couple apple trees 3-5 years old. I am not sure when it happened but they have settled in there planting holes, the graft is now in contact with the soil and there are several serious roots from above the graft going down into the soil. Any suggestions on how to fix this? Should I just leave it alone or try to dig up the tree trim of all the roots above the graft and replant it higher in the ground?
Thank you!!! I really needed someone to push me to cutting my fruit trees. I knew I had to prune them but I was just scared to do so.
Just one question, I should prune them on a sunny day or it doesn't matter if I prune on rainy day?
The important thing is that you prune your deciduous trees *when dormant.* Do not rush the process. It's best to prune them in late winter after they have achieved full dormancy and the worst of the cold weather has passed, but before any sap flow returns or any buds begin to swell. For example, here in NC, my last chance of frost is usually last week of March/first week of April, and I do my pruning in early to mid-February. This gets me through the worst of winter, but the trees are still fully dormant.
For evergreen trees, like an avocado, citrus, mango, guava, etc., you are generally going to want to prune them after you remove the harvest. That gives them the maximum amount of time to recover before the next blooming cycle. If you have a tree that takes more than an entire year to ripen fruit, like some avocados do, you may simply never get a timeframe where the tree is bare to prune. In those cases, a lot of growers prune half the tree at a time or just periodically trim it throughout the year to keep it in check and remove any old/inward-growing wood.
Dry days are preferable to reduce spread of disease. Avoid pruning apricots and cherries during the winter as they're highly susceptible to disease from pruning during wet weather; August into September best.
@@TheMillennialGardener
Oh my god, whole lots of detailed information!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! 😍😘💋
@@LEADERINFRONT
Thank you for your advice. So, I should wait to prune my aprium and pluots because where I live in France rains a lot.
We have only cloudy days and rainny days. Haven't seen the sun for looooong time. So sad😭
Good video
I often you shouldnt prune citrus
Annually, after harvest. I lightly prune/shape/tip my citrus trees after I pick them clean, which is usually January/February. That gives them the maximum amount of time to recover before the bloom cycle in May.
Was out at a farm store and picked up an interesting sweet corn variety Martian Jewels. Something different to try this year have been and will continue to prune my fruit trees foe a little while now. Not very nice out this week slightly warmer next week.
I grew that 2 years ago! It was very interesting. I'll say it wasn't quite as sweet as some of this crazy super-sweet hybrids they've developed over the last generation of breeding, but it was pretty good.
@ interesting! Just thought it would be fun to try.
Love the vid. While I don't have fruit trees now; I'm contemplating maybe doing a couple next year. Funny Dirty Dale. I just gave my boy a bath this afternoon. ❤❤❤
You guys are in line for some bad weather. Stay warm. My 5.5lb dog boy keeps me warm. I can only imagine Dandy Dale. I'd burn up with that much heat. Lol
Im in the PNW on new to me 3 acres. Its January and just n o w freezing at night. I fear trimming now due to damage to the young fruit trees at the cuts i planted last year. My question.... should i suck up my fear or wait till this freezing weather is over?
Also your so correct as i trimed an old neglected Magnolia agressively last year and it rewarded us with an amazing blooming show! I also am planting 10 young Dogwood and Japanese Maples any advice? Thank you so much for sharing your valuable knowledge!!
I have a fig, pomegranate and Meyer lemon in pots. I’ve read that I should lift the tree out of the pot and loosen up the root ball and add dirt. My question is should i lift the root ball first then trim the tree or trim it first then thin out the root ball? Thank you love the videos.
I’m in the Southern CA area
Very informative video. I’m in Virginia on the coast. I have 2 Asian pear trees that the squirrels devour every year. My question is one of them is about 15 feet tall and the other is probably 30+ feet. Is it too late to prune them? They have never been pruned. Also, there are limbs that grow straight up. Can I just prune these out or any beneficial reason to keep them? Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge.
For the tree that is 15 feet tall, watch my video in the description on pruning. I used my 12-15 ft tall persimmon as an example (ruclips.net/video/UKiDItwCR_o/видео.htmlsi=IWy-uMkPuVy-2xk3).
The 30 ft tree is going to be a challenge, because it doesn't have the "skeletal system" set up for pruning. It's best to be aggressive when pruning trees when they are young, because once you establish that skeletal system, you basically just cut the tree back to the same spot annually, plus removing the dead and dying wood. Topping large trees is a more stressful endeavor.
The answer is, yes, you *can* prune the larger tree back, but it's not as simple as a younger tree. Younger trees bounce back immediately, but cutting the big tree back will probably result in it taking a year or two to recover. I think you basically have two options:
1. You can try a modest pruning, where you go through the tree and cut out all inward-facing growth and any dead/dying/knotted wood, but not significantly alter the skeletal structure of the tree. This would help the tree fruit more by allowing more light into the canopy and eliminate points of weakness for disease and pests without significantly altering the trajectory of the tree, so it would likely fruit better. However, it would still basically be the same size.
2. If you want to control the growth of the tree, you could consider stumping it, similar to what they do in avocado orchards: ruclips.net/video/51_cX_RQfSI/видео.htmlsi=fUMoEz7B1gioT8Cr
This would take the tree very low to the ground so it re-sprouts and forms a whole new skeletal structure, which you could then shape from Square One into the exact tree you want. But, the downsides are it'll probably take 2 entire years to re-grow and fruit again, and if for some reason your tree is very old and tired, you do risk the tree not coming back. I don't know how vigorous your Asian pear is compared to an avocado. This would be a risk. Asian pears are usually naturally semi-dwarf, so I have a feeling for it to be *that tall,* it must be pretty old.
Keep in mind, if you DO stump the tree, you MUST cut it ABOVE THE GRAFT. If you cut it below the graft, only the rootstock will come back and you'll lose the named variety.
Just some things to consider.
@@TheMillennialGardenerI think it depends on the tree. I cut the top almost 1/3 out of an apple my Dad had neglected and it produced for the first time in years. Now the plum tree. Definitely going to be over a 3 year period with how huge it is. I already started some cuttings from it last summer so if it becomes a failure I have that delicious fruit it produced. (Which was very little, probably because of squirrels and birds)
Love the videos! Was wondering if there is any situation you wouldn’t want to prune a fruit tree?
Great video.
Thank you!
I just cut anything that goes straight to the sky. My brother who plantes two walnut trees according to the paperwork but i think they are going to grow huge. I have not trimmed them. I had called a tree company but they failed to show up twice. I have cut my apple, pear and apricot but not sure about the walnut ones
Walnut trees, left to grow on their own, will become very large. If you want to keep nut trees controlled in size, you have to start from the moment you plant them and keep them in check by developing the "skeletal structure" of the tree from an early age. Once you let them get a few years old, they'll get away from you and you probably won't be able to do much unless you stump them and start over, which has its risks, too.
I'm not much of an expert on growing nuts, because you usually need two trees and they get gigantic. The only nut tree I am growing is an All In One Almond, because it's self-fertile and a natural semi-dwarf. Pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc. can become giant, and smaller trees like macadamias are tropical and frost sensitive.
Thanks for all your great information! I am about 2 hours down the coast in SC. I have a Washington Navel that fruited this year for the first time. I got 45 sweet beautiful oranges! I have been pruning this weekend for the first time. It looks like I have butchered the tree, but I know it'll come back. In the video you mentioned that this winter has been especially hard. We've had several nights with temps in the low 20s. My tree is out in the yard with no protection from the cold. I see plenty of curled and twisted leaves that looked normal a few weeks back. What do you recommend for cold nights like we've had recently? Do you protect your trees in any way? Do you water the trees in winter? Thanks
Well. I pruned my Meyer Lemon pretty good. Hopefully I did a good thing
I am very aggressive at pruning my Meyer Lemon. It would be 4-5x the size it is now if I let it go. I keep it as a small hedge, and as you can see, it doesn't mind.
Thank you for the very educational video! I am going to prune my fig tree after sending this message lol! I live in Charleston, SC. I have blueberry bushes (never been pruned in 4 years, oops!) that have already started flowering just like your key lime after the same December cold snap. The last 2 years I have lost 90% of my blueberries due to this. I have them under winter plant blankets as well.
What is the best to do to keep the buds from dying off with the next unexpected cold snap?
Should I prune them back now?
Great info. I just planted my apple tree and peach tree last summer. Do I still need to trim them? That’s what I call my pups “dirty mutt” lol. Thanks for sharing your valuable knowledge.
Yes. More-so than ever. The younger the tree, the more you have to prune it. Years 1, 2 and 3 is when you must establish the skeletal structure of the tree that you want. Once you get your desired form, pruning simply becomes an annual exercise of removing dead/dying wood, removing inward growth and trimming the tree back to its skeletal frame and keeping everything balanced and symmetrical.
Thank you for this video sir. I wonder if this rule is applied to crepe myrtle trees. I have been pruning it yearly but the flowers are dull and not plentiful.
also there are holes coming into the base of the trunk now. Any suggestions are appreciated. Happy New Year!!
Great video! If you wouldn't mind, I have a question about your experience growing citrus in ground. I'm growing Owari Satsuma, Nagami Kumquat, Meyer Lemon, and Loquat in-ground here in zone 7b South Jersey. So far, my trees are doing great with your method of frost cloths and incandescent lights. They handled a night at 9 degrees already. The temps in the day time here have been steadily around 32-42 degrees Fahrenheit. I remember in one of your videos you mentioned that you only use the frost cloths when temps get really low. I am finding it difficult to gauge at what temps I should remove the frost cloths. At what temps do you decide to put the frost cloths on?
Wow. Zone 7b NJ growing citrus. I imagine you're in Cape May or Atlantic County? That is going to be interesting! There are three things you have to look out for:
1. When you see "cold hardiness" of citrus trees, that is kill-temperatures for mature trees. For example, Owari Satsuma is hardy to somewhere around 12-15 degrees when mature, but it'll take major damage at those temps. It may not die...but it'll be ROUGH and you'll be cutting back a lot of dead wood. Young satsumas will easily die at those temps. My general rule is if there is any risk of it falling into the 20's at all, the covers and lights go on. I don't let my trees face 20's without some sort of protection.
2. Fruit is generally damaged around 25-26. In many cases, the fruit is less hardy than the trees. My Owari could easily take 25 degrees at its age, but the fruit can't, and it's covered in 100 lbs of fruit. It's been under jackets for the last 10 days, and it looks like it will be for the next 10 days.
3. Time spent below freezing is as important, maybe more important, than absolute minimum. The challenge with NJ is they spend *many days* where temps don't break above freezing. Here in NC, we always get above freezing 365 days a year, so my trees never spend more than half a day below freezing. Ensuring your trees warm back up during the day is so important.
I strongly recommend, in your case, you leave your citrus trees in 1.5 oz plant jackets throughout the winter, removing them only to harvest the fruit. Just as important as the plant jacket's ability to lock in the warmth of incandescent lights and water barrels during the night to keep them warm is the plant jacket's ability to capture sunlight during the day to warm them back up. It's entirely possible a day that only gets to 23 degrees at night, but doesn't get warmer than 29 degrees during the day, is more harmful than a night that scrapes 18/19 degrees but shoots up to 50 during the day. I hope that makes sense. Duration of cold is just as important as absolute minimum, maybe more-so.
@@TheMillennialGardener
Invaluable information! Thank you!!! 😊
@@TheMillennialGardener Cherry Hill actually. Our cold hardiness zone got bumped up from 7a about a year ago which is what convinced me to plant my trees in the ground. These are awesome tips. Thank you so much!
I have figs in pots. I’m in southern Ontario so I bring my figs in the garage. Should I prune the roots as well while they are dormany
I planted a bare root peach tree last year that took off well. I don't know if and when it should be pruned going into its first full year…. Late winter, early Spring or at all this coming year? New Hampshire here so it'll be until late April/ early May until things wake up. It's got nice buds on it though and really thickened up in the trunk.
Have you ever thought about starting a bajillion cuttings from the pruned branches and selling them?
No. I really dislike packing and shipping trees. It is a time consuming, arduous and expensive process, and with deliveries being constantly lost and late, it has a high rate of customer dissatisfaction. I leave that to the experts.
I like how you employed a personal trial as evidence. Lots of regurgitated misinformation out there. So, a lot of prevailing thoughts on leaving in-ground bush branching and not cutting back, but rather making thinning cuts defined as taking some of the taller branching back down to the ground as low as possible to keep "hormones in balance." The thoughts behind that type of pruning is to prevent all energy going into vegetative growth. It has been explained that fruiting will be minimal cutting back many branch's height. I'm new to figs, but common sense seems to tell me that figs grow on new wood and often at every new leaf so my thinking aligns with your explanation which I see as making more sense. More new branching, more production. And, old branching is only good for breba crops which are often inferior to main. Have you seen those folks' videos that advocate for thinning cuts vs topping cuts (cutting back)? What are your thoughts? I do know that my personal experience on some of what you speak to in containers is right on, and further thoughts are just thoughts at this time.
I am in Northern Illinois and have a Chicago Fig in a container. I would like to plant it in the ground and cut it to the ground every winter to protect the roots. But I have heard that the roots are so aggressive they will hurt other plants growing. Would you keep it in a container or do you think it's safe plant in the ground if it is 5 to 10 feet away from other trees/bushes/flowers?
This video is very eye opening for me. While video is a gem. Thank you sir 🫡
You're welcome! I'm glad I could help.
Bookmarking this. I pre-ordered some fruit trees to plant in early Spring and pruning properly is my biggest concern as they grow.
It's best to aggressively prune your trees those first 2-3 years to get the exact frame that you want. That way, annual pruning is easy, because you'll just be removing inward-facing growth, dead/dying/diseased wood and basically cutting it back to the frame you developed.
Zone7b northeast Mississippi I need to prune my peach trees I'm kinda seeing if they are going to freeze back some
I bought a house a few years ago with several gardens and a few fruit trees. I am disabled and had to let the gardens go because I couldn't care for them. I never even thought about pruning the trees. I'm afraid I am losing the huge black cherry tree that I adore. It definitely outgrew itself. I have a fig tree that has never produced, but grew around the edge of my porch roof. My peach tree, very small, just sort of petered out.
I can't raise my arms for long so I can't use pruning sheers and I no longer have strength to squeeze them enough to cut. Would a light mini chainsaw work? I can't afford to hire someone.
Also, what time of year should this be done? I am in New Mexico in the desert, and normally it is about 60F during the day, but still freezes at night, but this year has been much colder.
Thank you for any advice.
Do you have a video on pruning for increased breba production?
No. I do not prune my tree for breba production. Brebas do not hold in my climate. I would watch this: ruclips.net/video/RB0D_tuKgtQ/видео.htmlsi=iC7t0mbuJZfd-Chs
First yes pruning does hurt the trees, Trees do feel pain, That said you are correct harsh pruning does increase fruit production, , orange groves will pull 50 years of fruit in a 20 year span the trees always fruit after s being in traumatized and chock , and they have to replace them every 15 to 20 years.
I planted blueberry bushes two years ago. Two of them have taken off with single shoots that grow straight up. Should I prune those single shoots to encourage more growth of the rest of the bush? I have some older bushes that were damaged that are also coming back with single shoots that are much longer than anything else on the bush. Should I prune those?
Is it better to wait until later in Winter to prune? When the forecast is to be warmer, colder, or same in the next few days? Or is anytime before budding good?
Smart
Thanks for watching!
Too absolute! Many trees fruit on the previous years' wood (e.g. apricots). But I did like the discussion on figs.
This is clearly explained in the video.
I planted a fig tree in November (Texas Gulf Coast 9b). I cut away the lower branches (below 2 feet) and thinned the branches when I planted it. It still has green leaves on it. Should I tip the branches? It's about 4 1/2 feet tall.
No. You are just starting to get a taste of cold right now. Never prune deciduous fruit trees significantly while they are not dormant. You are going to hit your peak of dormancy probably in another 30 days or so. I'd do the pruning in early February in your situation.
@@TheMillennialGardener Thanks.
When do your container citrus typically flower? My kumquat flowered in September and October. But by the end of November all those flowers had fallen off without any fruit set. I didn’t know if I did something wrong or not. September I added a fertilizer stake. I thought maybe that was the problem.
Would you recommend I aggressively trim my cherry and apple trees also?
It depends how large the trees are. If they are young, yes. Young fruit trees have to be heavily pruned to develop their shape. That is when you make the "big cuts" to create the skeleton of the tree you want. Then, pruning becomes a simple exercise of removing dead wood, inward growth and trimming it back to the frame you established. If your trees are large and have never been pruned, it is a lot more difficult. You'd have to make a lot of decisions.
Just a couple questions. 😊 I planted a fig sapling in a large pot last year. My intention was to eventually transplant it to my yard. However within the year it busted through the bottom of the pot and rooted into the ground. When is a good time to transplant to a new location? Also because the fig tree is still very young and small (it has maybe three small branches) should I prune this year or wait until it's more established? TIA
Those in ground fruit trees on that brick wall. Which direction are they facing please.
South.
I still have citrus and other fruits on my trees right now. Should I wait to prune? Or pick al the fruit right now, even if unripe, and start pruning now? Zone 9b Florida. Thanks in advance.
When is best season to prune fruit trees, especially fig? Also when bruning should any futting compond be put on the larger cuttings to protect the tree from bugs?
I have answered this question many times in the comments. I would recommend you review those answers for a longer response. Deciduous trees are always pruned during total winter dormancy. All other trees are individual and must be pruned after harvest but well before blooming. Every evergreen species requires very specific timing based on the harvest and bloom cycle.
@TheMillennialGardener thanks man! Your content has been amazing. Can't wait to see the updates on the farmstead! Cheers!
I received a citrus tree from a friend who was leaving the country. I do not know what type of citrus tree it is (container). Two years plus in, the tree is 3 times the size, I have never seen a flower on it. I plan to repot in the spring when I take it to the community garden for the full sun and place it in a larger container. The roots are at the top of the pot. In winter I keep on my balcony next to my sliding glass door for warmth, wrapped in plastic. The leaves survive the winter. Should I cut it back in April (I live in Washington, DC) and how much should this first cut be? Should I also be cutting back my blueberries?
I have a young Celeste Fig. I planted it a 5 gal bucket in October. I have it in an unheated garage over the winter ( zone 7a). It doesn't yet have any lateral limbs, just one main trunk about 5 ft tall. Does that main trunk need to be pruned down?
Question. We have two pear trees that need pruning. They are at least 6 years old and at least 25 feet tall. How do we prune this mess? Zone 8b.
I watched a vid from another fig grower a few months ago where he said the question he gets asked most often is, "why is my fig tree not fruiting?" He gave some possible reasons. One reason he gave is the tree was pruned too aggressively.
I started my fig trees from cuttings about this time last year. They are in 10 gallon containers and in storage (I'm in zone 6A). I was planning to give them all a couple of cups of water this weekend to moisten the roots. Now I'm wondering if I should prune them, too. It's confusing when the advise from experienced growers is seemingly in conflict.
I think the opposite is more likely true. People rarely over-prune their figs. The more than likely case why their figs aren’t fruiting is they aren’t pruning. People routinely grow figs in ground in cooler zones that die back every year and re-sprout. They always fruit profusely. Now, you *may run out of growing season* before they ripen. That is true. But figs that die back to the ground always fruit heavily.
It is the people that don’t prune and fertilize that have issues.
I was wondering which nursery you purchased your Giombo Persimmon from? And is it grafted? Found one that is grafted on American persimmon rootstock and wasn’t sure if that mattered. Thanks!
Named varieties are going to be grafted trees. Always get your trees grafted. You want your trees grafted onto native American persimmon rootstock. My tree, specifically, is from Just Fruits and Exotics, and my other larger Asian persimmon is from PlantMeGreen. Of my new Asian persimmons, one is from One Green World, the other from Bob Wells. I buy my trees all over.
@ thank you so much!
Do you also prune blueberry bushes and elderberry?
I wish I had pruned my flat peach tree sooner, because I ended up snapping it in half like a wishbone because it became too oversized with the wrong shape
I've read that mission figs ("black figs") need to be pruned differently because fruit is produced on 1-year old wood. Any advice on that?
Should i prune the new baby trees I just got from mr McKenzie last summer?