Pruning dwarf fruit trees
shelby2168
Posts: 3
in Fruit & veg
Hi, does anyone know if or how I prune dwarf fruit trees please? I received dwarf apple, pear and plum trees this year as a gift, they didn't flower this year but I think they are supposed to next year.
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Posts
The most basic thing to remember is that you should never try to prune a plum tree of any size in the winter. Only prune them in the summer when they are growing. If you prune in the summer, they seal the cuts with resin and keep out infections. Prune in the winter when they are asleep and their wounds stay open.
What variety of apple is it?
If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
Some apple varieties flower on little spurs along the branches. These are called spur bearers. You will see the flower buds at this time of year on little spurs. They are fatter and more lilac/purple coloured than next year’s leaf buds.
Some apple trees only flower on buds at the very tips of the branches. Again, the flower buds are fatter and lighter in colour than the leaf buds. These are called tip bearers. Pruning a tip bearer obviously cuts off the flower buds.😁
And the third type flowers on spurs and at the tips of the branches. Braeburn is this type.
According to accepted wisdom, pruning a tree in winter encourages it to grow longer branches. Pruning it in summer encourages it to grow more spurs (apart from the tip bearing type).
Your trees are far too young to need much pruning of any kind. If you can see a broken branch, trim it off to an outward pointing bud. Otherwise, let them get on with growing up.
And don’t touch the plum tree.😁
If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.