Pruning fruit trees can be intimidating, but it’s an essential task to improve the health and productivity of fruit trees. The usual time to prune is at the end of winter, but should you also be pruning in the summer months? This article delves into the reasons for adding summer pruning to your fruit tree care regimen, including the right timing, techniques, objectives, cautions, and which fruit trees are likely to benefit from this practice.
We may receive commissions from purchases made through links in this post, at no additional cost to you.
Late winter or early spring is the right time to prune fruit trees, correct? Absolutely yes – except when it’s not. The question of whether to prune fruit trees in winter or summer is somewhat controversial, and there are compelling reasons for both viewpoints.
I always do my main fruit tree pruning during the transitional period between winter and spring. However, in recent years, I have come to realize the benefits of doing additional pruning in midsummer.
The key is – what are you trying to accomplish? The reasons for pruning in winter are different than summer, but both are beneficial to fruit trees. More and more research is being done on whether summer pruning is necessary (I will link to some resources below), but the consensus seems to be that it holds benefits in specific circumstances.
In this article I will address the reasons you may want to add summer pruning to your fruit tree care regimen (as well as when not to). We’ll discuss which trees benefit from this practice, when is the best time to summer prune, and exactly how to do it. I’ll show you before and after photos of my fruit trees, and I’ll share what I’ve learned from pruning them in the summer.
Do you want to see summer pruning in action? Check out the video below to see why and how I prune my various fruit trees in the middle of the growing season:
Summer Pruning vs. Winter Pruning
Pruning in winter accomplishes different things than pruning in summer because the tree is in a different state. Over the cold months, deciduous fruit trees go dormant. During dormancy, the tree conserves its resources and stops growing to protect itself from cold injury until it’s time to begin growing again in spring.
Curious about any garden-related terms? Click on a highlighted word in the text, or visit The Fruit Grove Glossary to find out more.
Most fruit tree pruning happens at the end of winter or in very early spring, when the tree is just about to come out of dormancy. Heavy pruning in winter causes more robust spring growth to happen. This may seem counterintuitive, but it makes sense when you consider the tree has stored up energy (carbohydrates) all winter long in its root system and trunk. Removing dormant twigs and branches doesn’t reduce this energy – rather the tree has more energy in proportion to the tree size – leading to vigorous spring growth.
Related: A Simple Guide to Pruning Peach Trees for Maximum Harvest
Pruning in summer is entirely different because the tree is covered in foliage. Removing green leafy growth reduces the amount of photosynthesis possible, which means less energy for growth. A tree lightly pruned in midsummer will not replace the lost greenery with vigorous new growth. Also, the tree has already finished the bulk of its growth for the season so it’s already growing at a slower rate.
In other words, pruning in winter stimulates growth, but pruning in summer limits growth. I prune my fruit trees in winter to influence the way the tree grows, but I trim in summer to control the tree’s overall size and shape.
I’ve seen it described in terms of house construction. Winter pruning is like the foundation and other basics – framing, electrical, plumbing. Summer pruning is the finishing work – tiling, paint, carpentry, lighting. Both are essential, but they are used for different purposes.
Summer Pruning Objectives
Understanding what you are trying to accomplish when pruning in summer is essential to making the right cuts (and avoiding wrong ones). This list – and the rest of this article – will help you determine whether a particular fruit tree would benefit from a summer trim.
Repair Damage
Branches and twigs may break because of strong winds, severe weather, or a heavy fruit load. The first reason to prune in summer is to remove any damaged or diseased branches. Ragged, splintered branches are an open invitation for pests or disease pathogens to creep in. A clean cut minimizes the chance of future stress.
Manage Size
Heavy winter pruning causes vigorous spring growth, which can sometimes get out of hand during the growing season. By pruning in summer, you can reduce the size of the tree without it immediately regrowing aggressively. This is especially helpful if you live in an area with a long growing season (like I do). After the heat of summer passes, many of my fruit trees begin regrowing again through the fall. Summer pruning keeps the size in check.
Strengthen Leggy Branches
Vigorous spring growth often leads to long, leggy, whip-like branches, especially with stone fruit trees. In summer, I trim the long, thin branches by up to 1/3 (depending on the length). Heading cuts encourage these branches to grow stronger and thicker, making them more able to support fruit the following year.
Improve Light Exposure
Summer pruning allows you to thin crowded growth, remove crossing branches, and trim away water shoots. This increases light and airflow throughout the tree, reducing disease pressure and exposing the fruit to more sunlight. It’s especially helpful to thin out the top of the tree so more light can penetrate the canopy.
Increase Fruiting Buds
Light is also essential for making healthy fruiting buds for next season. Also, trimming the lateral branches of pome fruit trees (apples and pears) may speed up the formation of buds that will grow fruit for several years (source). For peach and nectarine trees, however, pruning any later than July doesn’t seem to affect flower or fruit growth the following season, according to some research (source).
Take a Closer Look
Summer pruning gives you a good chance to observe your fruit trees closely. Does the overall shape need improvement? Are there any signs of pests or diseases that need intervention? At the very least, you can trim away water shoots or root suckers that serve no purpose and rob the tree of energy.
Fruit Trees that Benefit from Summer Pruning
Espalier Fruit Trees
All espaliered fruit trees need some midseason trimming – especially apples and pears (see below for specifics). Fruit trees grown as espalier (trained against a wall, fence, or trellis) need summer pruning to keep their growth in check and to influence growth and fruiting for the following season.
For more information about espalier, check out Espalier Fruit for Beginners: 10 Things to Know Before You Start.
Learn how to start your own apple espalier here: Starting an Espalier Apple Tree: A Step-By-Step Guide, or watch the video below to see how I set up my espalier apple trees!
Peaches and Nectarines
Peach and nectarine trees tend to grow very robustly, especially in warmer climates. I find that my peach trees need the most pruning in summer of all my fruit trees. They get very crowded and leggy, which leads to light and airflow issues and thin, weak branches.
It’s important not to overdue pruning these trees and stressing them unnecessarily, but thinning crowded growth will improve light exposure, and heading off long, leggy branches allows them to grow stronger.
Learn how to prune fruit trees in the dormant season here: A Simple Guide to Pruning Peach Trees for Maximum Harvest
Cherries and Apricots
Cherry and apricot trees have similar needs to peaches and nectarines (they are all stone fruits, after all). However, many people suggest only pruning these trees in summer and skipping winter pruning altogether. This is to minimize potential disease problems, as open pruning wounds can be susceptible to fungal diseases such as silver leaf or Eutypa dieback.
The real culprit is excessive rain or precipitation before the pruning cuts have a chance to heal over. Summertime is typically drier than early spring, so pruning in summer minimizes these problems. Avoid pruning any later than August, however, so the tree can heal fully before colder temperatures begin.
Full disclosure – I do still prune my apricot and cherry trees in late winter because the trees grow extremely vigorously in my warm climate. If I pruned as heavily as I need to (to control the size) in the heat of summer, the trees will likely get overly stressed. When I do my winter pruning, however, I watch the forecast and choose a time with a long stretch of dry weather to minimize potential disease problems.
Apples and Pears
Pruning apple and pear trees in summer is especially crucial if you are training them as espaliers, where it’s essential to control the growth and shape of the tree. However, trimming lateral branches (the branches growing off of the main scaffold branches) may increase the amount of fruiting wood on spur-bearing trees.
The key is to shorten lateral branches to 3 leaf nodes above the cluster of leaves at the base of the branch (the “basal cluster”). Pruning these branches in summer keeps them from vigorously regrowing right away, and minimizes crowding. (I found this article a helpful resource).
Other Fruit Trees
Other fruit trees may benefit from light midseason pruning. Unless a tree is growing very aggressively, I tend to leave the rest of my fruit trees alone in the summer. However, I always look for damaged branches, water shoots, or root suckers, and remove them at any time.
For example, my pomegranate tree tends to grow a lot of root suckers and low growth which crowds the tree and inhibits airflow. Several times a season I go in and thin out the low growth to open up the base of the tree.
Learn more: Pruning Pomegranate Trees: An Easy Guide for Home Growers
When to Prune Fruit Trees in Summer
For summer-fruiting trees, wait until after the fruit harvest to prune. You are looking for the tree’s growth to slow down. Look at the tips of this year’s branches. If about 3/4 of the branches have mature leaves (rather than small, bright green new leaves), then it’s a good time to prune.
In many places, this will be in July or August. In warmer climates (like my East Texas growing zone 8B), it may be as early as June, and you may have to trim again in early fall. If you prune too early, the tree is still actively growing and may regrow more vigorously – and the new regrowth may not have time to mature by fall, leading to winter injury. If you prune too late in the season, the pruning wounds may not heal by the time the cold weather arrives, again leading to winter dieback.
How to Prune Fruit Trees in Summer
- Start by removing dead, diseased, or damaged branches.
- Remove upright, vigorous water shoots and root suckers.
- Head off (also called “pinching back”) long, weak shoots by a few inches to encourage them to grow stronger. If the shoots are extremely long, reduce by no more than 1/3.
- If the tree still looks crowded, thin dense or crossing branches to increase light flow.
- Less is more! It’s better to prune lightly to avoid stressing the tree.
As always, be sure that your pruning shears or loppers are clean, sanitized, and sharp. Arm yourself with sturdy gloves, long sleeves, and a stepladder (if necessary). Sanitize pruning equipment between trees, or even more ideally, between pruning cuts.
Learn more: Simple Ways to Clean and Maintain Your Pruning Tools
A Note About Fruit Thinning
Technically, thinning fruit counts as a form of summer trimming. It’s best to thin fruit when the fruit is still small and underdeveloped. For most fruit trees, this will be in late spring or early summer. The guidelines for fruit thinning differ somewhat for each fruit tree, but in general, thin baby fruits to 4 to 6 inches apart when they are about the diameter of a nickel.
Learn more: Should I Thin the Fruit on My Peach Tree?
Summer Pruning Cautions
Avoid pruning in summer when…
- …rain is in the forecast. A rainfall soon after pruning is a recipe for fungal diseases to take hold. Wait to prune until there’s a stretch of dry weather coming up.
- …it’s too late in the season. Pruning still encourages new growth, just like in the early spring. If you prune too late in the growing season, the tender new growth won’t be hardy enough to withstand cold temperatures. This leads to winter damage, which is stressful for the tree and could lead to further issues.
- …you have a lot of reshaping to do. Summer pruning is best for light work only, as we discussed above. If you have major rejuvenating or reshaping in mind, save it for the dormant season.
- …your tree doesn’t need it. Not all fruit trees need to be trimmed each summer. Most citrus trees will be just fine if you wait until winter to trim. In my experience, fig trees also don’t need summer trimming. However, every climate, tree variety, and garden is different. Use the tools in this article to help you determine when or if to prune.
