Hi y’all
We are getting into the thick of harvest season which is exciting and I am wishing everyone a bumper crop! While winter is the right time to prune to encourage new growth, summer pruning has many important benefits:
- it’s a great time to prune for shape as the tree’s energy is focused on fruit and leaf development
- it’s much easier to identify dead and dying branches
- it will lighten a tree’s weight and be a form of thinning to allow the tree’s energy to focus on growing larger, sweeter fruit while also preventing branches from breaking off and tearing
Summer pruning can be done either before or after the harvest of most fruits. While almost any variety of fruit will reap the benefits of a pruning this time of year, I want to especially remind folks with plum trees that soon after plum harvest is an ideal time for trimming plums.
If you would like City Fruit to help with your pruning needs, we offer summer pruning through our Tree Care Services Program. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at luke@cityfruit.org.
All the best!
Luke