Pruning and Fruit Bearing of Common Tree Fruit in Connectciut
PP045 (12/97R)
By Dr. Sharon M. Douglas
Department of Plant Pathology and Ecology
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
123 Huntington Street
P. O. Box 1106
New Haven, CT 06504-1106
Telephone: (203) 974-8601 Fax: (203) 974-8502
Email: Sharon.Douglas@ct.gov
Since pruning, training, and fruit bearing are not the same for all tree fruit, as follows is a summary of this information for the major tree fruit grown in Connecticut. Diagrams to supplement this information are available upon request.
Fruit | Habit | Training | Position of Fruit Buds Annual Shoots |
Position of Fruit Buds Sprus |
Life of Spur | Pruning |
Apple | Upright, spreading | Modified leader, central leader | Some | Most | 12-15 yrs | Light, dormant (February, March) |
Apricot | Upright, spreading | Modified leader, open | Some | Most | 3-4 yrs | Heavy, late winter, early spring (March, April, May) |
Cherry, sour | Spreading | Modified leader | Some | Most | 10-12 yrs | Very light, dormant(February, March) |
Cherry, sweet | Upright | Modified leader | Some | Most | 10-12 yrs | Very light, dormant (February, March) |
Nectarine | Spreading | Open center | Most | Few | ---- | Very heavy, early spring (April, May) |
Peach | Spreading | Open center | Most | Few | ---- | Very heavy, early spring (April, May) |
Pear | Upright | Leader | Some | Most | 10-12 yrs | Very light, dormant (February, March) |
Plum, European | Various | Modified leader | Some | Most | 6-8 yrs | Light thinning, dormant (March) |
Plum, Japanese | Various | Open or delayed open | Some | Most | 6-8 yrs | Heavy thinning, dormant (March) |
Quince | Shrubby | Open or delayed open | All | ---- | ---- | Light thinning, dormant (March) |
Summary
Pruning, training, and fruit bearing are not the same for all tree fruit. This fact sheet provides guidelines for pruning and training the common tree fruit grown in Connecticut. Information on growth habit, training, position of fruit buds, annual pruning requirements, lifespan of fruiting spurs, and timing of pruning are covered.