When most people think of pruning, they imagine trudging through the snow with shears in hand. While winter pruning is important for structure, summer pruning is where the magic happens for your fruit.
In our latest Growing Tip video, the team at Wafler Nursery explains why grabbing the pruners in July and August is the best thing you can do for your upcoming harvest.
Why Prune in the Summer?
Unlike winter pruning, which encourages the tree to grow more vigorously, summer pruning is all about slowing things down and redirecting the tree’s energy.
1. Let the Light In
By mid-summer, your trees are often covered in lush, green “water sprouts” (those straight-up vertical shoots). These act like a thick umbrella, shading the fruit in the center of the canopy. Apples need direct sunlight to develop that deep, vibrant red color and to synthesize the sugars that make them sweet.
2. Better Airflow, Less Disease
Summer can be humid, and stagnant air is an invitation for fungus and pests. Removing excess foliage opens up the “windows” of your tree, allowing the breeze to dry the leaves and fruit after a rainstorm.
3. Future Fruit Buds
When you prune in the summer, you tell the tree to stop putting energy into making more leaves and start putting it into the fruit buds for next year. This helps prevent “biennial bearing” (where a tree only produces a good crop every other year).
What to Cut (and What to Keep)
The goal of summer pruning is “thinning the forest,” not reshaping the whole tree. Look for:
- Water Sprouts: Those fast-growing, vertical shoots that don’t have fruit on them.
- Shady Characters: Any branch that is directly covering a cluster of apples.
- The “3-D” Rule: If branches are crossing or rubbing against each other, remove the weaker one to prevent bark damage.
Timing is Everything
The best time for summer pruning at Wafler Nursery is usually late July through August. If you prune too early, the tree might try to grow new shoots; if you prune too late, the new cuts might not heal before the first frost.
Wafler Tip: Only remove about 10-15% of the foliage during summer pruning. You want to let the light in, but you don’t want to give the tree a “sunburn” by exposing fruit that has been in deep shade all year!