All deciduous fruit trees need to be pruned at least once a year for good shape and to bear fruit. The time to do major pruning is during the winter. The rule of thumb with pruning deciduous fruit trees is to prune while the trees are dormant, after the leaves have fallen to the ground but before new buds have swelled.

Each type of fruit tree needs to be pruned differently, so it's important to know which kind of tree you're pruning and how to prune it properly. For example, apples bear their fruit on spurs that bear again and again, sometimes for as long as twenty years. If you whack off all the spurs you'll have no fruit. However, peaches and nectarines bear their fruit on one-year-old wood. By pruning them hard, you encourage new growth to replenish fruiting wood.

The best shape also differs among types. Apple and pear trees, for instance, do best with a central trunk, with shorter branches at the top, longer ones on the bottom. Peaches and plums do best with an open-center shape (kind of like a bowl).

No two trees, even of the same type, can be pruned exactly alike; basic guidelines will apply differently according to the placement of their branches, their age, and their overall vigor. If you're not an expert, follow a pruning manual (one that contains charts) that applies to your climate and type of tree.

When you buy a fruit tree, ask us for the best pruning method to use for that tree. Pruning a young tree properly to start with will save you a lot of time and effort later.

If you are dealing with a large old tree that has been neglected for some time, keep in mind that it may require several years of pruning to bring it back to where it should be.

Your primary goal is to open the tree so that sunlight can penetrate inside of the foliage during the fruiting season and to shorten the taller limbs to bring the fruit production down to a more manageable height. It is safest to call a professional to do the high work and any large branch removal for you. They have the experience and equipment needed.

Remember after pruning deciduous fruit trees to clean up the ground under the tree and follow up immediately with dormant spray.

Many of us like to push the limits a bit on plants we grow, hoping one that is not quite suited for our area will survive the winter. So we've usually got a few that aren't as cold-hardy as they should be. As the winter nights get colder, these plants may be damaged or even killed. Even plants that are hardy can be damaged in a severe cold snap.

Plants suffer cold damage when they lose moisture from their leaves but can't replace the moisture because the soil is dry or the water in the ground is frozen. Knowing and following a few basic principles will go a long way towards protecting your plants from winter damage and helping them leaf out again next spring.

Moist soils in colder regions will stay moist after the first fall (and subsequent) rains. The key is to make sure that the ground doesn't freeze down to the root zone of sensitive plants. Moist soil holds and releases more heat than dry soil, creating a more humid environment around the plant when the cold pulls moisture from the foliage.

The best way to insulate the soil is with a 2-3" layer of mulch. Place the mulch around the plant to at least a little past the drip line of each plant (the drip line is the outer edge of where water will fall when it drips from foliage). The mulch will allow moisture in but help prevent the ground from freezing down to the root zone. Snow on the ground (or on top of the mulch) will also provide some insulation--if you have snow on the ground, leave it right where it is!

Another way to protect plants is to stack or place pine needles or leaves around each plant. Pine needles, straw, or hay are best, because they allow the plant to breathe--but in a temporary pinch, leaves will work. Simply start from the ground up and create a pile that covers the main branching structure to at least two feet above the ground.

Covering plants with frost cloth, burlap, or plastic will also protect plants an extra 2-6 degrees. The material should be secured over frames or stakes so that it does not touch the plant; otherwise, it will just transfer the cold. Make sure to remove these coverings during the daytime on any day when temperatures stay above freezing; this will allow the plants to absorb the warming sunlight.

When it snows, don't rush out to brush all that snow off your plants. Believe it or not, a light layer of snow is actually good for perennials. Heavy wet snows can weigh down and break branches--but try not to remove all the snow, as it is an excellent insulator against the frigid temperatures that may injure plants.

Do not prune cold-sensitive plants until spring has arrived. In a sense, let the cold do the pruning for you. If your plant is injured, leave the damaged burnt leaves on the plant to protect the foliage underneath. Premature trimming may stimulate tender new growth that could be damaged by a late cold snap. You may also end up cutting out more than is necessary, mistaking still-alive growth for dead. Prune only after new growth has started to appear.

If you have any questions as to which plants to protect, just ask one of our nursery professionals. We'll help you make sure you're ready to help your plants stand up to the cold of winter.

Brrr. It has been really, really cold, like 30 degrees or lower. Ok, I state the obvious, but herein lies the problem - we're in Southern California. You know - "It never rains in California" or "Surf City USA" - that Southern California? So I went to my encyclopedia and looked up Jack Frost. Did you know that Jack Frost is an elfin creature originating in Viking folklore who personifies crisp, cold winter weather? He leaves frosty crystal patterns on windows and our foliage. Oh...they make him sound so cute.

I don't know about you, but I didn't see a cute little elvish guy in my garden. But I do have a garden that approaches looking like a disaster zone. In temperate weather zones such as ours in Southern California, we are not accustomed to awakening to freezing temperatures - and neither are our plants. (Note: I'm not referring to the high desert or mountain regions). We all are going to be coping with frost-damaged plants this spring. Here are a few tips to follow from today forth.

Be patient with your plants. The damage is done. And we might get more of the Arctic chill...who knows? Don't begin hacking away at damaged plants, pruning away what appears to be total destruction. It may not be. Many of our plants are highly resourceful and restorative. Here are a few tips:

Leave wilted foliage for now. If we get another frost, this damaged foliage will actually offer cover to the unharmed foliage beneath. Once you are fairly sure frosts are a thing of the past, gently remove the wilted dark leaves, but do not cut back the branches.

Chances are most branches have not been damaged. To test, use your fingernail to gently scratch the bark and look at the underlying plant tissue. It should be green or creamy and moist. Observe the leaf buds and watch them. As the warmer spring weather returns, these buds should start to plump up and you will know that new growth is beginning.

Once new leaves have begun to pop out on now-empty branching, you will see the extent of any freeze damage to the branches. If leaves sprout out along the whole branch... then excellent. But if there are areas on the branch where the leaf buds haven't developed and no leaves appear, this is the plant's way of telling you, "Cut me back to just in front of the first emerging leaf." That is how far back to prune.

There are also a few excellent precautions to take, when or if you know that a frost is coming to your garden. Cover plants with a sheet or plastic at night. Remove that cover in the morning to allow the next day's (hopefully) higher temperatures to warm up the plants and soil. Of course, if you have large tropical foliage plants, it becomes impractical to cover tree-height plants (unfortunately).

Now, enough of the "What to Do" information. What is actually happening to your plant? Why does the cold hurt it so much?

Freezing temperatures severely dehydrate plant tissues. Water in the plant tissue freezes and when this happens, the plant's cells expand, causing irreparable damage. It is only when the temperature rises that the damage to your plant becomes apparent. A "burned" appearance may start at the top of the plant on the highest leaves (or the leaves most exposed to the freezing temperature), working its way down the stem and on through to the lower leaves. This process does not manifest itself immediately, but certainly does within a day or so.

Think about the solutions utilized by the citrus growers and other large crop production: wind machines, smudge pots, water. Singly or working together, these techniques keep the ambient temperatures surrounding the crops higher than freezing. At least, they should in theory. But for homeowners, such procedures are not necessarily practical.

You will notice that plants next to your house have escaped damage. Frost, or more accurately, the cold air spills off the top of your house much like a liquid. Once it hits the ground, beyond the distance of the eaves of the roof, this is where you will begin to see frost damage. If you cover the plants (of a size practical to do so) that are next to your house and those located away from the eaves, you may escape frost damage as well.

But many of us were taken a little by surprise. Not that the weather forecaster didn't tell us that we were getting an Arctic chill, but that the chill would come down from the mountain elevations and into our gardens. So, we'll all have frost damage to deal with, beginning now and into the spring. But give your plants time to let you know the depth or severity of the damage to each individual. With luck and caring, many of them will come back by spring.

How do I get sweeter fruit on my fruit trees?

Answer:

First, fruit trees need a minimum of at least half a day of sunlight each day during the growing season. The more sun, the sweeter your fruit will be. If your trees are in a bad location, consider transplanting when they are dormant in winter.

That said, many times the fruits on trees are not as sweet as they could be, because the soil they are planted in is lacking phosphorus and potash. It is important to apply a 0-10-10 fertilizer to the soil around your trees in November and again in January to provide these vital nutrients.

During the growing season, feed once after the blooms are finished, again in June and one more time in September with a complete fruit tree food. Make sure not to overwater, either. Allow the soil to dry out a little between waterings.

Established fruit trees respond best to deep and infrequent watering.

Click to print this article.