When to prune fruit trees

Prune fruit trees in late winter or early spring, January to early March, before active growth begins.

The window: Late winter or early spring, January to early March, while the tree is dormant and before the beginning of active growth.

The tree is dormant, with no leaves on the branches.
Undesirable branches and other wood to be pruned are easy to see without leaves on the tree.
Pruning is done before the beginning of active growth.
Wounds heal quickly once new growth starts.

The mistake to avoid: ""

Timing varies by region and year; your local extension office is the closest authority.

Grounded in: exclusives.mgcafe.uky.edu, extension.oregonstate.edu, uaex.uada.edu. Every timing follows sentences verified verbatim on those pages.

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