What is winter pruning

and why do it for fruit trees?

Winter is when most trees, including fruit trees, are dormant. Much like us, they slumber as the days become shorter and the cold pervasive. January-March is a good time to cut and trim because they are conserving their energy, not trying to grow at this time and will be less stressed. As the end of March approaches and days begin to feel warmer, we start to feel the pressure to finish. There are many reasons to prune trees and much depends on their intended use.

Home gardeners do think about aesthetics, keeping a tree small given a small backyard, or cultural aesthetics for example, espalier or more wild. As a fruit farm, the intention for our orchards is for fruit production. Pruning keeps trees healthy by removing dead wood and optimizing airflow amongst their branches. Pruning allows us better fruit cultivation by restricting tree size so we can harvest more easily, and encourages trees to continuously have more fruitful two year wood to bud. 

Fruit on apple trees buds in clusters of five, on two year pencil thin wood, through spurs or tip bearing, sometimes both. When your tree is young is a good time to start training which branches will become its architectural base. Most of our trees have 3 or 4 main branches that serve as the base which we then use clothespins and rubber bands to train to grow horizontally from the ground creating an upside down umbrella shape. We usually leave a leader branch to stay straight and grow vertically up the pole. Our apple trees are on dwarfing rootstock and planted close together, which is why we use poles, also called a spindle system, to support them. Our peach trees are an example of a wider spacing that home gardeners might be more inclined to plant. Trees with wider spacing don’t need a leader branch; they should be pruned uniformly based on their growth habit. Peaches and apples have a slightly different growth habit and even different varieties within each will need different encouragement and pruning. 

So I’ve answered why prune in winter? And, why prune at all? But, if you’re looking for more hands-on experience and a direct Q and A with the farmer. Gary holds an annual winter pruning workshop to cover fruit pruning. We already had our winter pruning workshop early March with a good turnout despite the rain! In the past we have covered blackberry cane pruning for those interested. As always, you can sign up for our weekly emails on our website and follow us on social media @manoffmarket 

Cheers!  

-Chelsea & The Manoff Crew 

A poem inspired by winter orchard work…

Winter pruning

It’s a farmer who

Sees something of beauty

Of boots in nature

Distilled through 

Siphons of the Creator 

Steward

And barber

Nature responsive 

Tongue tucked

Eye discerning

Nose to gray soft sky 

Mouth wrapped thermos

Shoulder stretched wingtips

Fingers lapsed in snowdrifts

Fractal branches 

Upright animate

Which came first? 

Human will or 

The tree’s desire

Do origins matter

As evolution 

Oils every action

-Chelsea Manoff