Released: March 31, 2004

Planting, Training and Pruning Fruit Trees

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Windy spring weather has arrived and it’s time to think about fruit trees – both for the yield and health of the trees. Ward Upham, horticulturist with Kansas State University, has put together suggestions for planting, training and pruning fruit trees.

Fruit trees are usually sold bare root and it’s vital that the roots do not dry out before planting. When buying fruit trees from the nursery, open the bundles right away to check for moisture.

“If roots are not moist, they should be soaked in water for six to 12 hours before planting,” Upham said. “Those that have moist roots can be repacked and placed in a cool, sheltered area if trees will be planted in a day or two.”

If wet soil prevents planting for several days, the trees should be heeled in, said Upham, who is the coordinator of K-State Research and Extension’s Horticulture Response Center. Dig a trench in a sheltered, well-drained area out of the sun (the north side of a building works well). Lay the trees so the roots are in the trench. Place soil over the roots, firm the soil and add water if the soil isn’t moist enough. Trees should not be left heeled for more the two to three weeks.

When planting fruit trees, the position of the graft union, above or below the soil surface is important. The graft union is where the end of the branch (scion) from one tree is grafted onto the roots of another tree (rootstock). With peach trees, the graft union should be buried below the surface, but for apple trees the graft union should be 3 to 4 inches above the soil surface, when the tree is fully in place.

“If the graft union is below the surface,” said Upham, “the apple tree will develop scion roots.”

Other fruit plants should be planted at the same depth to which they were planted in the nursery. Bark color is normally an identifying characteristic of the original planting depth.

“Trees should be watered immediately after planting to eliminate air pockets and ensure there is plenty of water for root uptake,” said Upham. “Do not fertilize at this point.”

Pruning fruit trees just after planting in the spring will help the development of a strong structure of the main or “scaffold” limbs. Pruning also reduces limb breakage over the years, caused by heavy fruit loads. Training during the year of planting and the following year are important because the grower selects the scaffold branches. During this late dormant period, pruning is also beneficial because wounds will heal quickly when growth begins. Undesirable branches and other wood to be pruned can be easily seen, since there are no leaves on the trees. Winter-damaged wood can also be easily identified – the bark is less likely to tear when cuts are made and trees that are pruned in early winter can be damaged by sub-zero temperatures that occur after pruning.

A few tools on hand can make the task simpler. They include; hand shears for small sized wood – up to one-fourth inch diameter; loppers, used to cut one-fourth to one-half inch in diameter branches; a fine-tooth pruning saw, which may be needed for branches bigger than one-half inch or where shears and loppers cannot reach; a ladder; and a pole pruning or a pole saw, which is a long-handled implement used to make cuts in high areas while standing on the ground.

Newly-purchased trees with already developed branches should be pruned once they are planted, leaving no more than five or six branches for permanent scaffolds, plus the central leader, or main center branch remaining.

Trees with no branches or only one or two small branches should only be cut back to about 32- 36 inches high. This promotes branch development along the tree trunk. The lowest branch should be about 20 inches above the soil level.

Generally, young fruit trees are trained using the central leader system. These trees will grow in a pattern where the center branch is dominant. This method is most commonly found in apple, apricot, cherry, plum and pear trees. It is characterized by a central trunk from which the scaffold branches develop, which should: (1) form wide angles with the trunk, about 60- 80 degrees; (2) be distributed on all sides of the tree for good balance; and (3) have branches spaced about six to 10 inches apart on the trunk with no branches directly opposite or below another.

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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.

Story by:
Crystal Rahe
cer5665@oznet.ksu.edu
K-State Research& Extension News