Hi, Sakura! I think you would come to love your trees even more if you would service them yourself. Pruning isn't difficult, and there is no precisely right method. Most important, you can become one with your trees and you needn't worry about causing permanent harm. Here are some basics: 1) You be the boss! Shape and size the tree the way you want. Don't be afraid to make cuts. 2) Start by removing any suckers, then 3) remove any dead or seriously diseased limbs, then 4) remove any branches that are too low, then 5) remove any hangers, then 6) remove watersprouts, then 7) remove any branches growing toward the center of the tree, then 8) remove any crossing branches--leaving the stronger or more important, then 9) remove any mummified fruit, then 10) top the tree if it's getting too tall to suit you. Shape it like a Christmas tree with no upper limbs shading lower limbs. Use limb spreaders to force 70-90 degree angles with the central leader. Stand back and throw your hat through the tree. If it won't sail through, cut some more to allow good air circulation and spray penetration to minimize the disease that so concerns you. Thin your fruit big time. Live life to its fullest. Perhaps Harvestman will weigh in with his thoughts!!! Good luck, Misterbaby.

It certainly depends on the type of tree. And we have a lot of new rules about pruning, including when. When it comes to most deciduous trees, including fruit trees, pruning during the growing season (spring into summer) is the best way to shape and keep the trees in bounds and at the right size. For serious limb removal, we wait until they're dormant (winter). For evergreens, it's about the same -- during the growing season to shape, size and fix. The down time for evergreens varies so it's hard to generalize about when to do anything serious. Joe

Pruning of the varieties you've mentioned really should only be done to facilitate the shape of the tree and to remove dead or diseased wood. I'd also bear in mind the need to open the tree to ensure good air circulation and ease to fruit picking. I would do it all in winter when the tree is bare being mindful that you may also sacrifice some the next season's fruit bearing wood, but it can be done any time. You also need to consider the fruit load the tree can happily carry, for example, old Pete Cundall on Gardening Aus. advised you should never allow a lemon (or other citrus) to bear pickable fruit before it is 5 years old. I think that advise is applicable to all fruit trees, although at 4 years I've allowed my Washington Naval orange to provide a few very nice oranges. B.

Yes, what floral said. That thing looks a mess, albeit the pruning you ask about could clear some of that up. Not sure it's worth it though, IMO. If it's a non-edible crab, as in sour, tiny, or otherwise unsuitable fruit, why mess with it? If you don't know, why is this such a priority? So...basically, fruit production happens on branches with good exposure to sunlight. Additionally, fruit harvest is aided by an overall horizontal aspect to the fruiting branches. I see a lot of suckers, AKA water sprouts, both of which names really don't mean anything, but which are clogging up the structure of the plant, reducing sunlight to what could be fruitful branches, etc. So first and foremost, I'd get rid of a lot of them. Why not all, you might ask? Because this tree, and every tree in the world, responds to the loss of branches by trying to make new branches. so if you hit it too heavy, you'll really just be perpetuating the problem. I don't work in an orchard, but I have pruned a lot of fl. crabs in my time, and I always tried to leave any suckers that weren't 100% vertical, that occupied space where there wasn't already another perfectly fine branch, or which grew somewhat more horizontally. The rest I'd take out. Same with regular branches; Leave as many as you can, but do attempt to get rid of congestion in the tree's crown. An old saying was that if you pruned a fruit tree correctly, a bird should have no trouble flying right through it. I think that's too extreme, but it gives you some idea of what you're after. Finally, there must be an orchard or two somewhere around you. Why not take a look at what those guys do. You will then see the strongly horizontal structure these folks strive for. Maybe talk to an orchardist. They'll know more about it then I do, even though I am an expert in most aspects of landscape tree care. +oM