Timing is everything when it comes to fruit tree pruning. Getting it right can lead to a very successful harvest, while getting it wrong can completely jeopardise growth and the health of your trees. Summer can often feel like the ideal time to be outside and tend to your trees, but you must approach with caution. While warm and dry conditions do make it easier in theory to prune your trees, your fruit trees can actually suffer significantly if wrongly tended to in the summer.

To help you understand whether you should be pruning fruit trees in the summer, we have outlined some clear advice and caveats in this article. 

Can Fruit Trees Be Pruned In Summer?

Whether pruning fruit trees in summer is appropriate or not depends largely on the type of fruit tree you are working with and how it has been trained. Free-standing trees (standards or bushes) should be pruned during the winter while they are dormant. At this time, the tree is best able to tolerate structural cuts and the fruiting process is at the least risk of being disrupted.

However, summer tree pruning can be both necessary and beneficial in many circumstances. For example, for apple and pear trees that have been trained as restrictive forms, including cordons, espaliers, fans, pyramids or spindlebushes. 

Benefits Of Pruning Fruit Trees In Summer

For trained trees, careful tree pruning in the summer can be beneficial for a number of reasons. First, by removing excessive new growth, more light can penetrate the tree canopy, which helps to ripen fruit and discourages any possible fungal problems. Better airflow can also reduce the risk of common diseases, which may threaten future growth and harvest quality.

There are also specific advantages to pruning overgrown trees in the summer months. If your trees have put on a lot of growth in the spring months, summer pruning can slow things down and ensure that energy is going into fruit production as opposed to leaves.

Pruning Apple Trees

When it comes to apple trees, our advice is to approach summer pruning with caution. The best time for pruning apple trees is during the dormant season (late Autumn through to early Spring).

If you prune too heavily during the growing season, you can divert the tree’s energy from fruit production to shoot production. While this may appear healthy to an untrained eye, it can actually lead to a poor crop. Instead, apple trees should be pruned in late Autumn or early spring (before bud burst) as this approach balances wound healing with disease prevention.

An exception and therefore an instance where pruning apple trees in summer is necessary is for the removal of dead, dying, or diseased wood. These should be dealt with as soon as possible to maintain the overall health of the tree.

Pruning Pear Trees

Pear trees follow similar rules to apple trees in terms of optimal timing. The ideal window for pruning pear trees is typically between November and early March when the tree is dormant. 

However, summertime pruning has a role for trained pear trees (e.g. espaliers, fans or cordons), which benefit from light pruning in July or August to ensure enough sunlight reaches developing fruit. If your pear tree is particularly vigorous and shoots up quickly after winter pruning, a summer cut can also help to keep growth in check. Just be mindful of pruning too heavily, as this will limit the tree’s ability to produce quality fruit.

Expert Tree Pruning

Pruning fruit trees in summer isn’t inherently wrong, but your tree’s growth patterns and shape must be taken into account before making any cuts. If your apple or pear trees have been trained into a formal shape, mid-summer pruning can offer real benefits. For larger, free-standing trees, it’s still in the winter that the most important tasks need to be completed.

With lots to factor in and get right when it comes to scheduling fruit tree pruning, it pays to seek advice before undertaking any work. At Arborcure, our highly experienced tree surgeons in the South West are here to help you make the right decisions regarding your fruit trees. We can assess your situation and grounds and recommend the safest and most effective approach. Simply get in touch with us today to find out more.