How to Prune a Fruit Tree in Winter
- 1). Put on warm clothing and work gloves.
- 2). Set a stepladder under the tree for better access to medium-height branches. Take care not to set the ladder on a patch of ice.
- 3). Use the appropriate pruning tool based on the size and height of the limbs. Hand pruners work well for small branches within reach. Use a pruning saw for thicker branches. If the branches you want to cut are out of your reach, even with the stepladder, use an extendable pole saw pruner.
- 4). Cut off the dead and diseased branches first, as close to the tree trunk as possible. If the dead piece is connected to a healthy branch, cut the dead branch where it connects to the healthy limb.
- 5). Remove large structural fruit tree branches next. For instance, you may want to cut off the top of a taller tree to promote fruit growth on lower branches. Use your pole saw pruner to cut competing or overlapping branches. Cut just one branch at a time and step back to survey your results.
- 6). Cut off small branches for detailed pruning last. Trim the tree branches to form a more uniform tree shape overall.
Source...