2. 4 Reasons for Pruning -Safety -Health -Aesthetics -Production

3. Strong Tree Framework Balanced Renewal Facilitate Management Harvest Sunlight Efficiently Maintain Productivity

4. What happens if you do not prune? Faster growth Earlier fruiting Less light penetration Poor spray coverage More difficult to manage

5. Crown Thinning

6. Crown Reduction

7. Establish a Strong Tree Framework Vertical trunk Well Distributed Scaffolds

8. Establish a Strong Tree Framework Wide branch angles are stronger Narrow angles are weak and increase shading inside canopy

9. A Strong Tree Framework: Major objective of the first three years Must last the lifetime of the tree Structural support for fruit crop Should not be crowded

10. Harvest Sunlight Harvest Efficiently: Poor fruit color Poor fruit distribution ◦Less fruit bud development Poor fruit size Poor fruit flavor Poor Light Intensity Leads to

11. Harvest Sunlight Efficiently: Harvest Sunlight Efficiently: Light Intensity Affects F ruit Color and Size

12. Harvest Sunlight Efficiently: Light Intensity Affects Fruit Color and Size

13. Maintain Productivity: Remove Unproductive Wood Fruiting wood which hangs down Fruiting wood which is shaded Water sprouts and root suckers Diseased or damaged wood Weak or thin wood

14. Maintain Productivity: Remove Unproductive Wood ◦Remove weak or thin wood

15. Maintain Productivity: Maintain good vegetative:fruit balance Maintain Productivity: Maintain good vegetative:fruit balance ◦Thin out excessively vigorous vegetative growth during summer ◦Allows light into center of tree

16. Maintain Productivity: Maintain good vegetative/fruit balance Remove excessive fruiting wood In peaches - remove 40-60% of new fruiting wood each year

17. Tools used in Tree Training Manipulation of apical dominance Manipulation of apical dominance  Controlled by the plant hormone auxin  Produced by actively growing shoots  Moves down the branch with gravity

18. Effects of auxin 4 Inhibits lateral bud break 4 Inhibits lateral shoot growth 4 Affects branch angle

19. Pruning Remove the Source of Auxin Heading Cut Heading Cut 4 Remove part of the branch 4 Stimulate bud break near cut 4 Stimulate localized branching

20. Pruning Remove the Source of Auxin Thinning cut Thinning cut 4 Remove branch at point of origin 4 Least invigorating cut 4 Promote light penetration into canopy 4 Maintenance pruning

21. Cutting Tools

22. How to Cut

24. Poor Cuts

25. Apple Tree Example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN6z FEqscHQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN6z FEqscHQ