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["Alan Haigh" <alandhaigh@gmail.com>]

Ever since I changed the name of my landscape co. from "Landscape Habitats" to "The Home Orchard Co." almost two decades ago I have found myself spending more and more of my time pruning fruit trees, primarily apples.  I spend every working hour of almost seven months pruning them.  Here's what I've concluded about the affects of pruning timing.

 

Pruning after bud break but before newly formed leaves are creating a net plus in energy will do little to deinvigorate an apple or any other fruit tree.  I have often pruned apples with open flowers with no apparent affect on vigor- large and small branches alike.  While the roots are growing at this time (surging, in fact), I believe that they are doing so primarily on stored energy.  Whatever, winter pruning and early spring pruning will not show noticeable difference in response, at least without careful measurement.

 

I have orchards that I prune only in the summer as is done traditionally with espaliers.  These trees are already as big as we need them.  Other orchards I prune in winter and summer so I have less to do in winter and to keep down fungus.  If a tree has excessive vigor I will try to manage it primarily with summer pruning and one with inadequate vigor I prune only in winter, usually removing a lot of spur wood.  So prune now or prune later, don't worry, be happy.