11 Fruit Trees You Should Prune Right After Harvest

The time period “fruit tree” is all-encompassing. Many woody timber produce edible fruits that we take pleasure in consuming. For optimum fruit manufacturing from these specimens, well timed pruning is essential. It’s an vital a part of a complete care routine.

Just a few deciduous timber recognize pruning in late summer time and fall after harvest, although many of the species on this listing are tropical growers that fruit on the finish of the season. You might prune them while you harvest, as they’re actively getting ready to develop one other crop for the subsequent 12 months. 

Prune these fruit timber after harvest to form your tree, to promote fruiting, and to enhance the well being and vigor of your orchard. Annual pruning is a needed a part of caring for fruit timber. With out it, the specimens might outgrow the house, making it troublesome so that you can attain their fruits throughout the harvest season!

Apricot

Apricots ripen from late spring by summer time earlier than most different stone fruits. Their flowers emerge early within the season, in late winter and spring. As a substitute of pruning them earlier than the buds swell, it’s finest to prune these fruits after harvest.

Pruning apricots in the summertime prevents nasty infections attributable to Eutypa. Eutypa is a genus of fungi that infects woody timber, inflicting dieback, oozing wounds, and cankers. It spreads by humid, wet climate that’s widespread in spring.

When pruning, begin by eradicating the three D’s: useless, broken, and diseased wooden. After eradicating the three D’s, make exact cuts to take care of the cover at an simply reachable peak. Take away criss-crossing limbs, weak branches, and crowded shoots. 

Avocado

Avocados are warm-weather lovers that develop finest in tropical and subtropical areas of the U.S. They ripen at numerous occasions of the 12 months, relying on their selection. Some, like ‘Hass’, mature from April by October, whereas others, like ‘Corona,’ end in the summertime. 

Avocado timber are likely to type sturdy branches that not often want pruning for form. To prune these fruit timber after harvest, merely decrease the peak of the tallest limbs. It’s finest to maintain your avocado tree between 10 and 15 ft for simple harvesting and most fruit manufacturing. 

Fig

Figs are scrumptious. Some varieties have two harvests a 12 months, whereas others have a single choosing interval. It’s finest to prune them in winter earlier than new progress happens. Choose any long-standing fruit that persists on the branches, then make cuts to take away crossing branches and suckers from the bottom.

Keep away from pruning figs within the fall, as you might open them as much as winter damage throughout frosty climate. Choose their fruit, then wait to prune till the leaves fall off. In warm-winter areas, the figs might ripen lengthy into the winter. 

You might take away unruly, quick-growing branches with out fruit at any time of the 12 months. Figs are like hazelnuts; they type dense thickets over time with many branches sprouting from their base. The fruits require an annual prune after harvest to look and carry out their finest.

Grapefruit

Citrus timber, like grapefruits, ripen late within the rising season from autumn into winter. Leaving the grapefruits on the tree helps them develop sweeter and extra tasty. Should you go away them on the tree, you might prune the tree’s branches shortly after harvesting the fruit. 

Growers with chilly winters ought to wait to trim their timber till spring or early summer time. Frosty climate can injure the limbs and trigger extreme dieback. In all different areas, make cuts after harvesting earlier than new flowers emerge. 

You gained’t must prune grapefruits as closely as apples. Take away the three D’s, and scale back the peak of the tree if it’s too tall for harvesting.

Guava

Guava timber are heat-loving specimens that produce bushels of fruit. They develop nicely in tropical areas of the U.S., in components of Florida, Hawaii, and California. 

Guavas are likely to have two ripening seasons. They bear fruit as soon as in spring and once more within the fall. You might prune the timber after both harvesting interval. Form them so you’ll be able to attain the guavas, and take away any suckers to forestall thickets from forming. 

Slicing a guava stem causes extra to develop. The place you chop the one shoot, two or extra new ones will seem after pruning. Use this to your benefit to form a single-trunk specimen right into a productive and bushy tree. 

Kumquat

Kumquats are not like another citrus fruit you’ve eaten. They’ve tart flesh, edible peels, and a small dimension. Pop them in your mouth for a tasty deal with, or chop them into jams, jellies, and sauces.

As with different citrus, kumquats start forming on the finish of the rising season. You’ll choose them from fall by spring, and prune their branches proper after the harvest interval.

Most kumquats keep between three and 6 ft tall, and so they require minimal pruning. Take away the three D’s, and go away wholesome branches for optimum fruit manufacturing. 

Lemon

Tart lemons are important in dwelling kitchens. Use their juice, flesh, and rind for flavoring dressings, desserts, drinks, and cooked meals. Lemon timber develop finest in heat areas of the U.S. that don’t have vital frosts throughout winter.

They take to pruning like kumquats and grapefruits. They don’t want a lot, however these fruits do profit from a prune after harvest. Harvest the lemons once they’re yellow and aromatic, then prune the woody stems shortly after.

Take care when trimming the stems. Many citrus timber, together with lemons and limes, have thorns on them. Put on gloves, look the place you’re pruning, and placed on a long-sleeved shirt to guard your pores and skin.

Lime

Limes want scorching temperatures to carry out their finest. Most develop nicely on their very own; you gained’t should prune them exterior of eradicating useless or diseased wooden. Plant them outside in heat states, or develop them in pots and convey them indoors for the winter.

Limes are prepared to reap throughout the colder months, from fall by spring. Depart the fruit on the stems till they’re inexperienced, then choose the limes and convey them indoors. To prune fruits after harvest, trim the thorny branches shortly after the harvest interval, earlier than new blooms emerge. 

Lychee

Lychees are rising in reputation within the U.S. These fruit timber produce spherical, small fruits with crimson, knobby pores and skin. Inside, their flesh is white and jelly-like. 

Lychees are simple fruit timber to prune after harvest. The fruit ripens in clusters, and also you’ll must trim the stems to reap the bunches. You’ll successfully prune the tree by harvesting the lychees once they’re prepared. 

When you have a lackluster 12 months with out many lychees on the tree, prune the stem suggestions on the finish of the rising season. This helps encourage ample fruit manufacturing the subsequent 12 months. 

Mango

Mangoes are stuffed with wealthy, golden yellow flesh that’s candy and scrumptious. They’re unimaginable tropical fruit timber within the dwelling backyard. Watch as their tall, reaching branches create shade in your yard, then anticipate edible mangoes on the finish of the season!

With out pruning, mango timber attain spectacular heights. They might develop to 50 ft or taller when mature. Hold them inside attain with annual cuts shortly after harvest. 

Prune again tall branches and enhance crowded areas by thinning extra progress. If the main limbs develop over 15 ft, lower them again to decrease aspect branches. 

Candy Cherry

Candy cherries don’t appear to belong on this listing. They’re not tropical fruit timber, and so they develop finest in temperate areas with winter frosts. Their small, candy fruits mature from spring by summer time.