When you prune fruit-bearing plants you will stimulate the production of more flowers which will, in turn, develop into fruits. In addition, pruning produces more fruit by:
- Reducing the number of stems, branches, and leaves that may be competing for the resources which your plant needs to produce fruit.
- Ensuring your plants are healthy enough to produce good quality fruit, through the removal of any diseased or dead branches, stems, etc.
- Providing additional sunlight, and thus energy for fruit production, by thinning out the plant.
- Decreasing the weight of the branches, reducing the possibility of them breaking under the burden of the fruit.
Pruning Guide Table of Contents:
For some new gardeners, it can come as a huge surprise to discover the fact that pruning produces more fruit and failure to prune your plants correctly can result in less fruit, unpleasant-tasting fruit, or even no fruit at all.
To understand the importance and intricacies of pruning your fruit-bearing plants, we must first take a look at how fruits are produced, and why. This information is critical to understanding how pruning produces more fruit.
Then we will move onto the pruning techniques that will give you the best chance of a plentiful, tasty harvest, as well as some of the things it is best to avoid.
Finally, we’ll discuss how pruning can reinvigorate fruit trees that are no longer producing any, or only producing minimal fruit, and we’ll wrap up with some of the other elements which affect fruit production.
So, let’s begin by looking at how plants produce fruit.
How Plants Produce Fruit
To learn how pruning produces more fruit, we first have to understand how the fruit is produced.
The first step in fruit production is pollination. This happens when pollen from the male part of a flower is deposited in or on the female part of a flower. The majority of fruit-bearing plants are pollinated by insects but there are also some which are pollinated by birds, bats, other animals, and even the wind.
Some fruits, such as the peach have adapted so that the pollen from a flower on the tree can pollinate another flower on the same tree. These plants are referred to as self-fertile.
Whether your fruit tree, bushes, or plants are self-fertile or require another plant for reproduction, the next step is the same. Once the pollen, which contains the plant’s sperm, from one flower is deposited on the stigma of another flower fertilization can begin.
When pollen lands on the stigma of the flower the sperm makes its way down to the inside base of the flower where the ovary is located. The eggs inside the ovary are fertilized by the sperm which forms a seed or seeds. This seed contains the plant embryo which will if it finds the right conditions, grow into the next generation of the plant.
After fertilization, the petals shrivel up and fall off leaving the ovary, which begins to swell. This swollen ovary is the immature fruit and inside the ovary, the seed begins to produce hormones. These hormones make the cells of the ovary wall to grow and become thicker, creating the fruits we enjoy.
The growing fruit must also ripen before it is ready to part ways with the “mother” plant and during this time it is vulnerable to damage by pests, disease, and inclement weather.
Now, I know this might seem like a long way from how pruning produces more fruit, but stick with me, we’re getting there!
Why Plants Produce Fruit
Plants produce fruit in order to keep the seeds safe and nourished until they are ready to be dispersed. While we may pick the fruit before it is mature and allow it to ripen off of the plant, without human intervention the ripe fruits can support seed dispersal in two ways:
- The fruit will fall to the ground where the fleshy outer coating rots away. This not only exposes the seed, allowing it, if the circumstances are right, to germinate, but the rotten flesh also provides nutrients to kick-start the new plant’s growth.
- Other plants depend on animals and birds eating the fruit. This strips away the flesh but the seed casing protects the embryonic plant. When the seed passes out of the animal or bird it, hopefully, falls to the ground, germinates, and grows into a new plant. This method has the advantage of carrying the seeds further away from the mother plant, thus reducing the possibility of the offspring and mother competing for resources.
So, now we know how and why plants produce fruit, we can use this knowledge to prune them in a way that takes advantage of their natural drive to reproduce.
How Pruning Produces More Fruit
We have established that in order to produce a plentiful amount of fruit, a plant must first develop flowers. Luckily for us, fruit-bearing plants are naturally pre-disposed to producing as many flowers as they can. They do this in order to increase the chances of fertilization and, as a result, offspring thus ensuring the continuation of the species.
However.
A plant has limited resources on which to draw and can only produce flowers when the rest of its basic needs have been met. As a consequence, if, for instance, an apple tree has been allowed to grow freely, that tree will have to split its energy and the available nutrition between the branches, stems, leaves, trunk, and roots before it can “think” about producing flowers for fruit.
Therefore, more stems or branches does not automatically result in more flowers and more fruit. In fact, once the plant passes a certain growth point, it will begin to produce less and less in the way of flowers and fruit.
On top of that, if the tree has dead branches, these will be susceptible to disease and/or insect infestation. This may stay localized but, depending on the disease or insect, the disease or infestation can travel throughout the plant. Best case scenario in these cases is that you will be able to prune the affected areas and the tree would recover. Worst case scenario is the death of the tree.
While a dead branch will not be producing flowers anyway, it still matters if such a limb or stem becomes infected. Again, illness affects a plant in much the same way as it affects us. It requires energy to fight the disease or infestation and a consequence there is less energy available for the production of flowers and the nurturing of seeds and fruits. If you do manage to save the tree, it can take two, three, or more growing seasons for it to recover to the stage where it has enough “energy” to begin producing fruit once more.
Of course, some pruning techniques are used to provide your plants with additional resources.
When a plant grows large, thick, and lush, the upper leaves, stems or branches can begin to overhang the lower areas of the plant. In addition, dense growth can prevent sunlight from reaching the center of a plant and when an area of a tree or bush is deprived of sunlight, it may suffer from stunted growth or it could even begin to die off.
This is another reason why pruning produces more fruit. The area of a plant which is deprived of sunlight is not just in danger of stunting or dying.
Sunlight is needed in order to stimulate flower bud development, flower blooming, and the sucessful creation and growth of fruit following fertilization. Therefore a lack of sunlight is directly responsible for a lack of fruit so another reason pruning produces more fruit is that by carefully cutting back select areas of the plant you are ensuring the fruit producing stems have enough sunlight to produce buds, flowers, and then, large, juicy fruit.
Finally, pruning produces more fruit by ensuring your plants are not overburdened when the fruit begins to grow and ripen. Unpruned trees not only have to bear the weight of their fruit on their boughs, they also have to carry the weight of additional branches, stems, and leaves.
Thick growth plus a plentiful crop can result in broken branches which, in turn can lead to disease and insect infestation.
When To Prune Your Fruit Bearing Plants
The idea of pruning in order to produce more fruit can be intimidating but there is no need to worry.
Some gardeners like to give you the impression that every fruit tree, shrub or bush has a particular pruning technique, shape to be trained into and a very specific schedule for pruning. These are the same people who will tell you all about the different ways of classifying fruit-bearing plants and make it seem incredibly complicated by using technical, scientific, or Latin terms.
This is the kind of thing that makes many would-be fruit growers run a mile in the opposite direction and think about growing some nice simple flowers instead.
But, guess what?
Although some fruit-bearing plants will benefit from being trained into a specific shape, the average gardener, growing fruit at home, or on a small area of land, does not have to worry about specific forms, schedules, or any other methods which may begin to feel overcomplicated or burdensome.
We will look at pruning methods later in the article, but for now, when IS the best time to prune to produce more fruit?
Best Time Of Year To Prune Your Plants To Produce More Fruit
First of all, it is important to note that although it is good practice to look for broken, dead, or diseased branches during your annual prune, do not wait until “pruning time” to remove such limbs. For the health of your tree, these should always be removed as soon as they are spotted irregardless of the time of year.
Generally speaking, it is best to prune your plants during the tail end of winter when they are still dormant. Not only will this make it easier to see what you are doing, but it will also limit the amount of live foliage you have to prune away.
However.
Many people are impatient and rush outside, prunes in hand, ready to cut back at the first sign of a slightly warmer day. Try to resist this urge. When you prune too early in the season, the wounds left can make your plants susceptible to frost damage. Not only that but by trimming back your plants you’ll stimulate new growth which can also then be damaged when a late spring frost descends on the garden.
In the majority of the Northern hemisphere it is best to wait until late March, at the least, before venturing out with the pruning shears.
Best Time In The Lifecycle Of The Plant For Pruning
If you are planting young trees you should cut back the plant leaving approximately 24 to 30 inches of the stem above ground level. At the same time remove any side shoots and any “root suckers” – the fresh growth that can look like a new plant growing from the base of the tree.
Pruning in this way will encourage a thick, strong stem with low branches, which in turn will balance the above ground growth with the root system, preventing the plant from becoming too top heavy.
In the first three years of growth, you will prune your fruit trees on an annual basis with the aim of building a strong trunk and a framework of branches which will optimize fruit production. – More about that later.
For established trees pruning is only needed to reduce unwanted sprouts, remove any dead or dying wood, and to take out any weakened or downward growing branches.
How To Prune Your Fruit-Bearing Plants
For the average gardener, there is a basic three step pruning technique to stimulating a higher fruit yield through pruning.
Step One: “Start With 3 D’s”
Begin with pruning what is commonly known as “The Three ‘D’s” – Dead, Dying, and Diseased wood and stems. When pruning these areas be sure to make
Next, you can move onto those sprouts of growth from the base of the tree, known as root suckers. These lively young green stems not only drain nutrients from the tree but, because they originate from the rootstock, they are not even from the fruiting plant stock above the ground. Be sure to cut them flush with the tree and not to leave any little stumps of sprout.
Finally, you should remove all of the new vertical sprouts that are reaching for the sky from the main branches. These are known as “waterspouts” and will do nothing but drain nutrients and energy from your tree.
Step Two: “Thinning Out”
Now that you have removed the three D’s and any spouts, you can move onto thinning out the branches of your tree or stems of your bush. A thick, lush crown of leaves not only diverts nutrients from flower production and fruit growth but it also prevents adequate levels of sunlight reaching many of the branches.
By thinning out the crown you reduce the number of branches on which the tree can produce leaves and you allow more sun to the remaining branches. Not only that but a thinner crown generally suffers from less disease or pest infestation.
But how do you know which branches to remove? After all, you’ve taken out the most obviously redundant limbs.
Start by identifying any branches or stems which are pointing inwards, towards the center of the tree.
Next, cut away any branches which are crossing others, twisting, or growing downwards, ensuring the cuts are flush with the tree.
Once you have taken these steps, it is really a matter of standing back, taking a look, and identifying any areas which appear to be overcrowded, or where branches may end up competing with each other for resources.
When you have competing branches choose the one that is closest to a 10 o’clock or 2 o’clock angle to the trunk of the tree. Branches at this angle will be best equipped to withstand the weight of the fruit without becoming damaged.
Keep thinning out until each branch has roughly six inches of space around it.
Step Three: “Heading Back”
Finally, the last step is called “heading back” and this is where, instead of removing branches you do not want, you may want to shorten any remaining branches.
Without heading back, the branches of your tree will grow long and thin, and may not be strong enough to withstand the additional weight of an abundant crop.
The technique used for heading back is different from the one used to remove an entire stem or branch. When you are heading back you should remove no more than 30% of the growth that has occurred in the last year.
A heading back cut is made by first identifying roughly how far along the branch you wish to prune. Then, look for a bud which is facing in the direction you would like the branch to grow. Once you have decided on a bud, you will make a clean cut, no more than a quarter inch above the bud and sloping downwards, away from the bud, toward the opposite side of the branch.
Heading back will not only prevent weak growth and provide you with a tree on which you are able to more easily reach the fruit, but it will also cause the hormones in the tree to stimulate more growth, at a lower level.
What To Avoid When Pruning For More Fruit
When deciding what to prune from your fruit-bearing plants, remember that with a fully grown tree to only ever cut out dead, diseased, and dying wood as well as any inward pointing or downward pointing branches.
If you prune back any more you risk stimulating lots of luscious new growth. While the plant is diverting all of this energy into leaves and stems, it is dedicating less energy to flowers and fruits.
The same goes for overly vigorous heading back cuts. This can not only result in a tree which devotes its resources to abundant, leafy growth but, in a worst case scenario, you will be in danger of killing or irreparably damaging your tree.
How To Prune A Neglected Fruit Tree
Left to their own devices, many fruit trees will grow into tall, straggly specimens with a thick canopy and little in the way of fruit. It is possible to rejuvenate such a tree but you must be prepared to be in it for the long haul because the amount of careful pruning required will likely minimize fruit quantities for several years. You must also exercise patience and restraint because if you attempt to prune back too hard in the first year you will kill your tree.
First year to rejuvenate your fruit tree
The first step is to wait until the winter comes along and the tree enters dormancy. Then you can begin by the process of pruning to help your fruit tree. If you haven’t removed the dead or diseased branches then start with those. (tip – you can remove dead or diseased branches anytime during the year)
Next cut off all of the root suckers you see growing up from the base of the tree before deciding how high you want your tree to be. Do not attempt to remove any more than a third of the height of the tree in the first year and do not just hack all of the branches off to the same height.
Instead, begin by cutting back the primary boughs at the point where there are strong side shoots. Then you can move onto thinning out the canopy by removing any branches that are crossing over each other or pointing downwards.
This should be the point at which you stop in the first year.
Second year to rejuvenate your fruit tree
In the second year, during the summer, you can remove any vigorous new shoots that have developed near the top of the tree. At the same time leave new growth on the lower levels of the tree as this is where you want the tree to produce new, fruit-bearing wood.
Once you hit the second winter it will be safe to decrease the height a little more, if you need to, and shorten the outer branches in order to ensure the lower branches get plenty of sunlight
Third year to rejuvenate your fruit tree
By the time the third year comes around you need only trim back around half of the vigorous shoots in the upper part of the tree in the summer and in the winter carry on shortening the branches and get ready to reap the fruits of your patience, and labors, literally.
Other Elements Which Affect Fruit Production
The most common cause of scarcity, or total absence of fruit, is a lack of successful pollination.
This can be caused by a number of things:
- Inclement Weather: In cold, wet, or windy weather, birds and insects are less likely to be “out and about” and as a consequence are less likely to be carrying pollen from flower to flower. It is possible to encourage more insects during bad weather by providing more shelter such as planting low hedges or placing planters in and around your fruit bearing plants.
- A Lack Of Insects: Does your garden have only one or two fruit bearing plants and little else to attract bees, birds, and other pollinators? If so, the chances of the flowers on your trees and plants being pollinated and subsequently developing into fruit are minimal. If this is the problem in your garden, research which plants are likely to encourage pollinators in your area, and then plant some around your fruit bearing plants.
- The Overuse Of Pesticides: It goes without saying that by using broad spectrum pesticides which can kill off both “good” and “bad” insects. Instead of harsh chemicals try using organic methods of pest control in all areas of your garden.
- A Lack Of Pollination “Buddies”: Although some fruit trees are capable of self pollination, the majority will require a “buddy” with which to be cross pollinated. If you live in an area where there are, for example, lots of cherry trees, this will not be a problem. However, if your fruit tree is the only one of its kind for miles, that might be the reason for the lack of fruit.
Late frosts can also cause a lack of fruit. When the flowers on your plants bloom early, or the frost comes late, your blossoms may be killed off and without those, your plant will not be bearing fruit.
To avoid this, keep an eye out for early bloomers and watch the weather forecast for news of late frosts. In either situation wrap your plant, or as many flowers as you can, in a garden fleece or similar cloth each night. Remove the covering each morning, after the frost has started to melt so that insects can find the flowers and pollinate.
Soil conditions can cause problems for fruit production, but perhaps not in the way you might imagine. Fruit bearing plants are generally fairly hardy and you will find them tolerant of most soil conditions.
The problems tend to occur when well-meaning gardeners try to boost fruit production by applying fertilizer. Quick acting fertilizers usually encourage soft growth resulting in many more lush, green leaves but at the expense of flowers and fruit.
Always check your soil quality before applying any nutrients. If you do want to provide a nutritious boost to your fruit trees and plants, apply some basic compost from your garden, or some manure and let the nutrients soak in slowly.
Another little known cause of a dearth of fruit is the fact that your plants have a “memory.” When fruit-bearing plants end the season with fruit still on their boughs, the plant “remembers” that last year it devoted X amount of resources to developing fruit but that this energy was wasted as the fruit remained on the plant.
As a consequence, the tree will produce less fruit in order to avoid expending unnecessary energy on developing seeds and fruits that will not result in a new generation. To avoid this remove fruit from your plants at the end of the season, before it has a chance to shrivel or rot and fall from the branch naturally.
The Last Word
Once shaped your fruit bearing plants should need only basic annual maintenance pruning to keep them in shape and producing a healthy amount of fruit.
If you find that your crop is dwindling, look at all of the possible culprits and attempt to address these issues before breaking out the pruning shears!