In June and July garden centres around South Africa sell deciduous fruit trees, either bare-rooted or planted in nursery bags. Planting in winter when the trees are dormant gives them a chance to settle in and to start developing roots before they put their energy into spring growth.

During the first 3 years of growth all deciduous stone fruit trees like peaches, plums, and apricots, are shaped in the same way. Correct pruning during the first 3 years will create the basic framework for your tree, and from then on the tree is pruned for fruit production.

Pruning begins with the right equipment, Sharp shears make for clean, easy cuts, and if you can’t sharpen your own many hardware stores often offer the service for a small fee. As a measure of disease prevention, dip the blades of your pruning shears in a solution of isopropyl alcohol for 30 seconds to disinfect them before moving on to prune another tree.

The first step to growing a small stone fruit tree is to buy a small specimen with a stem that’s about as big around as your thumb. These young saplings are usually up to 1m tall, and the trick to keeping them smaller and more manageable is to cut the main stem right back when the tree is still totally dormant.

The First Cut:

The first cut is the most important and is called a “hard heading cut”. This cut removes the growing tip, and can be done before, or immediately after planting your tree. While such a cut may seem extreme, you will need to prune off about the top two-thirds of your new tree. This pruning cut is critical because it will create a low scaffold of branches and keep the canopy of the mature tree within reach.

Here’s how to handle the first cut for deciduous, stone fruits. Choose a bud at knee-height, but be very careful that you leave several buds between where you want to cut and the graft. The graft is that knobby place low down on the trunk where the scion (the graft that determines fruit variety) meets the rootstock. Make a clean 45-degree cut that angles away from the bud, cutting close enough to the bud so it can heal cleanly, but not so close that you cut into the bud itself.

This first cut works well for most deciduous fruits, however, peaches and nectarines will sprout more reliably if you cut just above what is called a “nurse limb” - a small branch which is left on the stem. In spring this little branch will quickly sprout new leaves, which in turn will provide nutrients to the little sapling.

If the tree you bought has a stem thicker than 2cm it may have a harder time pushing out buds if you cut it down too low, so in this case make the first dormant hard header cut where the ‘caliper’ (width of the stem) is thumb-sized. As soon as the buds begin to develop, and after the sprouts get going, you can cut the scaffold as low as you prefer.

This hard heading cut will encourage the tree to quickly put down roots, and vigorous growth and branching will occur in spring when the plant directs its energy to the remaining buds, and they will eventually develop into new limbs, each with a growing tip of its own. The resulting open-centred tree will be shorter, stronger, easier to care for, and most fruitful.

In the first spring of growth, after the first buds start to break, take a good look at the spacing of the branches and if you do not like the arrangement of the top buds, simply prune down a bit more on the main stem until the configuration of leafing buds suits you. This place will eventually become the crotch of the tree, and the lower down the crotch is, the easier it will be to keep the tree small. And, the earlier in the season you make this cut the more vigorously new limbs will grow.

Winter Pruning:

The first three years of your trees life are the most important if you want a good shape, and winter pruning is done to keep the center open with the main branches angling upward at 45 degrees. A 45 degree angle is the ideal angle for fruit bearing branches as it is the strongest. This open center pruning method is recommended because it allows sunlight to penetrate throughout the branches. However, it should also not be too open or the fruit can become sunburnt. Trees which are not pruned in this open way tend to grow so dense and thick that the fruit production tends to be limited to the outer perimeter of the tree.

Each one of these main branches will produce more branches which also need to be spaced as these are the branches which will bear the fruit. Start by removing all branches which are growing, vertical, horizontal, or downward, and any which may be crossing one another. Also remove any weak or diseases branches.

With all these clean-up cuts, it’s important to prune the branches back flush to the larger limb they’re growing from – don’t leave little stubs. If you have pruned any large thicker branches it is a good idea to seal them with tree seal, small branches do not require sealing. Remove any sprouts coming from the base of the trunk - technically they’re called ‘suckers’ and they originate from the rootstock rather than the fruiting variety grafted on top.

The last step is the easiest – you’re basically giving the tree a haircut. This practice is called “heading back the tree” and the idea is to prune back all the outermost growth of the tree. This shortening of the branches makes them grow thicker and more able to hold up the weight of the fruit; and Pomologists (fruit scientists) will tell you that it also causes the tree’s hormones to activate growth lower in the canopy, making for smaller, more fruitful trees.

Heading back the tree means cutting off 20 to 30 percent of last year’s growth. You can distinguish last year’s growth from two-year-old growth by the wrinkly ring of bark encircling each stem. Depending on the vigour of the tree, this may be anywhere from 5cm to 1m back from the tip of the branches. Unlike the previous steps, these cuts will be made part way into each branch, and where you make the cut is also important. Prune each branch back to a point about 1/2cm above a bud that faces in the direction you want that branch to grow in the coming year.

By keeping the tree low year after year, you’ll encourage it to send out side branches instead of tall branches that reach to the sky, making it much easier to harvest, prune and care for.

Peaches and Nectarines:

Peaches and Nectarines produce fruit on buds from one year old shoots and are usually pruned into an open vase shape. Select only the strongest shoots to keep and which will produce fruit next season (one year old shoots), each new shoot should be about 20cm apart.

Apricots and Plums:

If Apricot and Plum trees have been correctly shaped when young only light pruning is necessary, as heavy pruning may result in rampant growth at the expense of fruiting. These trees bear fruit on spurs which are small shoots on the older wood; so do not prune away the old wood. All you need to do is to shape the tree and remove any diseased or dead branches completely and all basal shoots from the rootstock.

Apples, Pears and Cherries:

If these fruits have been well trained from the outset they will require only minimal pruning thereafter. Try to keep the tree reasonably open and airy. These trees bear fruit on spurs and the young shoots are pruned back to encourage the formation of more spurs. Firstly remove all scraggly weak looking new shoots and then select a third of those that are left and cut them off completely as well. Of the remaining two thirds, prune one third of the branches back to half their length, leaving the remaining third un-pruned.

Grape Vines:

Grape vines produce fruit on the new season's growth that arises from year old canes. These canes in turn, come from two year old wood. Canes arising from wood older than two years old are called “water shoots” and are not fruitful. When pruning, try to keep all fruiting wood at the same level.

Pecan Nuts:

Pecan nuts must only be pruned lightly. The ideal shape is a central leader with wide angled branches radiating from it. Remove any weak or diseased branches.

Walnuts:

Walnut’s need only light pruning. Remove any weak, dead or diseased growth and any low shoots. Trim back any over-vigorous growth that may cause overcrowding.

Almonds:

Almonds need light pruning to grow upwards and outwards. As the tree develops, remove strong growth from the middle.

Aftercare:

After pruning, paint the large cut branches with a tree seal. Ensure that your sprayer has good pressure and spray your deciduous fruit trees and the soil around them, with 1 cup of lime sulphur to 10 cups of water.