How to Prune Fruit Trees & Shrubs for Maximum Production

Timing Beats Fancy Cuts

Dormant pruning invigorates remaining buds. Summer cuts mainly control size after harvest. Wrong timing on apricot/cherry invites wood disease (Eutypa).

Step by Step

1. 1

   Know your species calendar

   Prune most deciduous fruit in dormancy (often January). Apricot and cherry: prune in summer after harvest.

2. 2

   Remove the 3 Ds first

   Dead, damaged, diseased wood, then rubbing uprights. Clean cuts; no stubs.

3. 3

   Match severity to crop

   Peach/nectarine often need heavier thinning of last year’s wood; apple/pear/plum usually lighter.

4. 4

   Summer-prune for size, not sunburn

   After harvest, shorten vigorous shoots but leave dappled canopy inland.

5. 5

   Protect trunks and clean up

   Paint exposed trunks where sunburn is a risk. Sanitize tools between diseased trees.

San Diego Tips

• Citrus needs less structural pruning; wait until frost risk passes for big cuts.
• Remove suckers below the graft union on citrus.