Make sure trees show fruits of your labor

After checking out and repairing the winter damage to the trees and shrubs in your landscape, it's time to look to your orchard.

Fruit-producing trees weren't spared from the effects of this winter's snow. Many trees have broken or bent branches that will never produce another decent crop of fruit. Attention to these trees is critical to restoring form and productivity.

Pruning fruit trees is a mystery to many gardeners, and when compounded with storm damage, it makes things even more difficult.

While shade trees should be pruned for beauty and form, fruit trees should be pruned for production and strength. Our coldest weather is usually over by the end of January, so from the trees' standpoint, you can prune anytime after that. From my own standpoint, it's best to wait for some warm, sunny days. Prune apples and pears first, because they are most hardy. Follow with plums, apricots, cherries and peaches.

Start by evaluating each tree. If the storm damage was severe, or if the tree is no longer productive, a single cut at the base might solve the problem. Fruit trees are not productive forever, and if the tree has seen better days, you're better off to replace it.

First, take out any dead, diseased or broken branches. In most situations, it is easier and better to grow new branches than to try to salvage damaged branches. Leaving these defects in the tree invites disease and insects, and it often affects the structural integrity of the tree.

Once that is done, trim the suckers that grow from around the base of the tree. Typically, these arise from the rootstock, which is a different plant (the fruit-bearing part of the tree is grafted onto a more hardy rootstock). They interfere with the function of the tree and usually don't produce good fruit.

After you remove these obvious defects, take another look. If the tree still has a good form and is structurally sound, continue with the pruning. If it no longer has a good form or there is no good production wood, replacement might be the best option.

Bud growth determines the fruit crop, so a critical part of pruning is to stimulate abundant flower production in the right place on the tree. If you ignore this part of pruning, your fruit crop will suffer.

Home orchards have two types of trees, pomes or stones. Pome fruits include apples, pears and quinces, which produce clusters of flower buds on terminal ends of specialized fruiting stems called spurs. Some varieties also produce on lateral buds.