Most of the following fruit tree forms require pruning to retain the desired structure, to be healthy and productive. Some require training by tying the branches to the required form. However, not all types of fruit tree are suitable for all forms; apples and pears do well as cordons and espaliers, for example, whereas cherries are more suited to the fan form.
An important rule that is true for all fruit trees we prune - always look at the tree and think about how it will look at the peak of the season when it is full of its fruits and that way we may be able to understand where will be a density of branches full of fruits and we will want to prune them to allow the fruit a place to grow without unnecessary competition.
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Important general pruning steps
Start by removing any dead, diseased, or damaged wood. Cut these branches back to healthy wood or to the trunk of the tree. Disinfect your pruning tools between cuts, especially if removing diseased wood.
The plant has two main ways of growth, vegetative and productive. In vegetative growth branches and leaves will develop, in productive growth flowers will develop which will later develop into fruits. The branches dedicated to vegetative growth are the ones that grow by 90° from the ground, so if productivity is preferred, these branches will be pruned.
Productive branches will grow in 60°, these branches will be kept.
Prune away any suckers that emerge from the base of the tree. These are shoots that grow from the roots and can sap energy from the main tree.
Prune away Waterspouts, vigorous vertical shoots. They sap energy from the main tree and even if they grow fruit mostly they won't be good. Sometimes when cutting them they can change to productive branches.
Another way to increase productivity is by preventing competition that can shade lower branches. So should prune the higher branches.
When we prune unnecessary branches, we will prune them close to the trunk, at the base of the branch, since this is where the cells of the tree band together, and when the pruning is done, they are instructed to turn into a crust that protects the cut and prevents infections.
The cut had to be smooth and clean about 2 mm from the trunk at an angle so moisture won't collect on the cut and will cause disease.
Prune branches grow toward the center of the tree.
Prune the tree in the height that fits you and your land design.
Here are some pruning examples of specific fruit trees
Apple - Pruning the Apple tree when it is in full fall, before the buds appear. The pruning will be in the shape of a wine glass (Pyramid) with 5-6 skeletal branches, we will aim that they do not come out from the same point in the trunk but along its length. Choose 5 healthy branches that are 60°- 70°, if they splits with branches facing the direction of the tree, we will prune them and leave the ones that grow away from it, if there are good branches that compete for the same spot, we will choose the one that is more suitable for the specific design and prune the other. Prune all the secondary branches that face the tree. High branches that grow even higher we will want to prune until the high is suitable for us.
Pomegranate - Pruning the Pomegranate when it is in full fall, before the buds appear. Can grow on one trunk or, as is preferable, four trunks. We will want to keep the branches that go horizontal, for them to grow in several stores we will keep 2-3 vertical branches that will grow higher horizontal branches. The Pomegranate hangs like lamps from the secondary small branches that grow from the horizontal branches. To form more horizontal branches we can tie some branches to heavy rock on the ground.
Vertical branches or suckers will be pruned, even if they grow fruit mostly it won't be tasty. Then thinning to make space for the fruit to develop without scratches and other damage (don't forget the Pomegranate have big and nasty spikes), The idea is to space between the small branches so they are a fist's distance apart and arranged alternately.
If there are horizontal branches that are close to the ground, we will lean on them and apply a weight that simulates the branch being full of fruit. if the branch touches the ground, it means that it should be pruned until it stops touching the ground. Crossing branches and branches facing the direction of the tree will be prune with the horizontal branches that bend to the opposite side.
In young Pomegranate trees we will cut the weak vertical and suckers branches and we will bend the strong vertical branches to form the horizontal branches we desire.
Grape Vine (Vitis vinifera) - Pruning the Vine when it is in full fall, before the buds appear. Pruning to have one trunk (Cordon), that is clean of branches/canes for the first 40 cm above the ground, then splitting to 2 - 6 lateral canes. Secondary canes that grow from the main lateral canes will be pruning after the second bud (there are types of vines in which it is recommended to leave 6 buds on the secondary cane), from the buds that remain the Vine will grow new canes from which the grapes will grow.
Each year our main trunk and canes will be thicker and stronger and will be able to maximize their growth and the fruit yield. It is very common and recommended to build a structure the vine attaches to support by tendrils.
fig - Pruning the Fig tree when it is in full fall, before the buds appear. The pruning of the Fig tree will be in the shape of a wine glass (Pyramid) 40 cm above ground on one trunk, all the branches in the center and the one growing toward it will be pruned, thinning of small branches and the tiny splits. The height recommended to the first main split is 40 cm above ground. Encourage the growth of new shoots by pruning to create an open canopy. Remove some older wood to stimulate new growth.
In case the fig tree is in bad condition the pruning will be aggressive, up to the height where the splits of the branches look healthy and in good condition.
In colder climates, figs may die back to the ground in winter. Prune away dead wood and encourage new growth from the base. Fig trees tend to be overgrown and can tolerate heavy pruning. In extreme cases, you can cut it back to about knee height, and it will likely regrow better.
Plum - Prune Plum trees during late winter or early spring, before the new growth begins. Plum trees pruned to have a central leader. The central leader is a single main trunk clean from any branches 50 cm above the ground. Identify and remove crowded or crossing branches to allow sunlight and air to reach all parts of the tree. This helps in even fruit ripening. The last method includes removing some branches at the angle close to its splitting point at a logic height for harvesting. The purpose of the diversion is to change the direction of the branch's growth, and makes it possible to increase or decrease the angle of the branch's growth in relation to the base trunk.
mulberry - Prune mulberry trees during late winter to early spring, before the new growth starts. It grows very fast and it is common to let him grow high to use as shade and even to use his strong trunk has a foundation to build on it for fun. If you want the tree to be productive and accessible for picking, we will prune it according to the same principles as the previous trees in the wine glass shape, we will thin out branches facing the center, those that shade, the verticals and those that grow too high.
Pecan - Typically pruned during the dormant season to minimize stress on the tree, Pecan are trees that reach a height of up to 20 meters and more, because of the nature of their fruit which is a nut that grows in a hard shell, it can be allowed to fall to the ground and be picked up from there, so the height of the tree is not important in terms of convenience for harvesting. It is recommended that the tree have one leading trunk and to let it grow to provide shade and to be part of the surrounding canopy. Remove some older wood to stimulate new growth and aim for an open canopy that allows sunlight to penetrate and reach the interior branches.
Guava - Prune Guava tree at the end of the winter, beginning of the spring because they are sensitive to low temperatures. Guava pruning is much more permissive, you can leave 1 to 4 trunks which will not affect the yield or quality. Prune the lower branches at risk to end up touching the ground when they are full of fruits and make some general thinning to reduce the density, ventilate and allow light to reach every spot.
Citrus trees - despite they are evergreen trees it will be good to prune them, the ideal time will be right after the harvest on a mild winter day, as most of them produce fruits in winter. The most important with Citrus trees is to let sunlight reach the inner parts, wherever the sunlight reaches there will produce fruits. So we will thin all around the canopy tree, we will give more attention to the south side of tree and we will prune more aggressive to make some kind of space in a triangular shape which let the winter sunlight (the sun tends to go down to the south in winter) enter to the inner parts of the tree and where we fiscally can enter in the next years to harvest and maintain the tree in much easier way.
Summary
While winter pruning is advantageous for many plants, it's essential to note that not all types of pruning are suitable during this season. It's crucial to follow proper pruning techniques, use sharp and clean tools and tailor the pruning approach to the specific needs of each plant species. Additionally, evergreen plants are often pruned at different times, as they don't typically go completely dormant in winter. Pruning should be done with care and at the right moment, it's important not to remove more than a recommended percentage of the plant's canopy at once to avoid stress.
Now in most of the regions in Portugal is the best time to go out and enjoy pruning your trees knowing you're helping them and increasing the future yield production.
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