
Take care to bend but not break the branch. Keep the bent limb in the desired position for one growing season to allow the branch to stiffen and stay at that angle. Bend limbs to the desired angle and secure them in place by using weights, tying them with twine, or using notched limb spreaders in the crotch of the branch.

Stubs won’t heal and could be a starting point for wood rot fungi. Leave the branch collar but don’t leave stubs.

Prune the top portion of the tree more heavily than the lower portion.Prune mature trees more heavily, especially if they’ve shown little growth.You’ll need much less pruning at planting if you plan to irrigate the young tree frequently during its establishment. Prune all fruit and nut trees at planting time to balance the tops with the roots.Water sprout-A 1-year-old shoot that grows within the tree.Vertical branch-A branch that grows upright.Thinning cut-A pruning cut that removes an entire branch from its point of origin.Sucker sprout-A 1-year-old shoot that grows from the root.Stub-A short portion of a branch left after a pruning cut.The bud scale scars (ring of small ridges) on a branch mark the start of a season’s growth. Shoot-The length of branch growth in one season.Scaffold limb-A large limb that forms a tree’s framework.Multiple-leader trained trees usually have three to five leaders per tree. In a central-leader trained tree, only one leader is left in the center of the tree.


