Tree Trunks and Branches

You probably already know how pruning a tree protects it from damage and decay, but did you know the same process can also dramatically improve the quality of fruit that your tree provides? Even pruning healthy branches can help produce a wide range of benefits for both the current year's crop and the crop of years to come.

That's clearly something anyone who harvests from their fruit tree is going to want, so read on to find out exactly how pruning a tree affects its fruit.

Improves Light and Air Penetration

Proper pruning can help thin out the branches of a tree, which is great for reducing the risk of pest infestations as well as the branch-on-branch contact that can cause damage over time. It also allows better penetration of sunlight and air. This will in turn improve your current crop by ensuring all fruit ripens and colours fully in the sun. Once picked, you'll find these fruits tend to be bigger and taste sweeter. You should also see an increase in bud production in the following years.

Prevents Energy Drains

You should already know that badly placed or damaged branches aren't great for the health of your tree, and they also affect the quality of your fruit. Damaged or decayed areas demand extra resources from your tree, and even branches that are healthy can take energy away simply to be maintained. Proper pruning techniques remove those problem branches, which allows the tree to direct as much energy as possible towards branches that are strong and well-placed. As such, the fruit itself is going to grow faster and ripen better.

Removes Old Fruiting Wood

Even if part of your tree has produced great fruit in the past, the quality of that fruit is likely to decrease over time. After a few years, the fruit can become poorer since it is being produced from older fruiting wood. This can also occur when older wood starts producing larger yields at the cost of new growth. Just like other living organisms, fruit trees simply don't do as well as they age. By having the tree pruned, you can help dormant buds in that older fruiting wood to produce vegetative growth. This means you'll be making new fruiting wood.

The benefits of pruning your fruit tree are clear and compelling, but just make sure you arrange for a professional to perform this task rather than doing it yourself. They'll be able to leverage years of experience and industry know-how to produce the best results and avoid causing any damage. For more information on tree pruning, contact a professional near you.