Fan-Trained Fruit Trees Need Regular Trimming, but Timing and Techniques Vary – Discover the Best Approach for Different Fruits
An expert guide to pruning new and established fan-shaped fruit trees to keep them healthy and productive
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Fan-trained fruit trees have branches arranged in a (yes, you guessed it) fan shape. They are tied to a wall or fence and benefit from regular light pruning to keep them shapely, healthy, and productive. Here we look at when and how to prune fan-trained fruit trees so yours remain at their absolute best.
The fan shape is popular for many different fruits. It is predominantly for stone fruits or figs, but classics like apples and pears are also suitable. Both the timing and the techniques to prune fan-trained fruit trees depend on the type. Some require winter and summer pruning, while others are only trimmed in summer.
Fan-trained fruit trees are a great way to get harvests in smaller spaces
When to Prune Fan-Trained Fruit Trees
The right time to prune fan-trained fruit trees depends on the type of fruit you are growing. And it either takes place in late winter or early spring, or in summer.
Understanding when to prune fruit trees is vitally important to their long-term health; it is a fruit tree pruning mistake to treat them all the same.
Late winter or early spring is the ideal time to prune apples, pears, and figs. During dormancy is good for structural work and major pruning, while a second summer trim is for fine-tuning and developing fruiting spurs.
However, summer is best for pruning stone fruits, such as peaches, cherries, and apricots. You prune stone fruits later in the year to reduce the risk of silver leaf, a fungal disease prevalent in winter that targets stone fruits.
A summer pruning of stone fruit also encourages the growth of fruiting spurs to carry lots of fruit.
How to Prune Fan-Trained Fruit Trees
Young fruit trees need to be trained to a frame to develop a fan shape
You often need to prune fan-trained fruit trees from the moment of planting to encourage the best growth and create the classic angled fan shape.
As well as pruning, you need a trellis or bamboo framework on a wall or fence to train the fruit tree to. You can get a pack of bamboo stakes at Amazon to use for the framework.
If you buy a pre-trained tree, the work is done for you, but otherwise, you need to cut straight after planting the fruit tree. Please be prepared to get into action with sharp pruning tools as soon as possible.
Having a pocket-sized garden tool sharpener like this one from Amazon can be a quick way to get your pruning shears sharp while out in the garden.
How to Prune Fan-Trained Fruit Trees to Establish the Shape
Do the first pruning 18 inches up the trunk above three healthy buds to encourage side shoots. Pick two angled branches to train next summer, and the following spring, cut them back by two-thirds to an upwards-facing bud.
In summer, pick around four shoots from each of these main arms. The next spring, remove any stems that are growing inwards towards the wall, and cut back the four stems you chose to keep by one-third to an upward-facing bud.
How to Prune Fan-Trained Fruit Trees in the Years to Come
Clean and sharp pruning tools are essential to make proper cuts and avoid spreading disease
Once trees have their shape established, they require only light pruning each year to stay attractive and productive.
The priority goes to removing any dead, damaged, or diseased branches, along with undesirable growth. That includes branches growing straight out from the wall, inwards, and any crossing, as they can rub and create wounds that become entry points for pests and diseases.
After dealing with that hit list of unwanted branches, the pruning of lateral stems varies slightly, depending on the fruit. Let’s look at a few of the differences:
- For stone fruits: peaches, nectarines, plums, and cherries: In summer, any new shoots are cut back to around six or seven leaves. After harvesting, between August and September, these same shoots are pruned further back to three leaves. This encourages the growth of spurs to bear fruit the following year.
- For pome fruits: apples and pears: In summer, new shoots longer than 6-8 inches are pruned back to 2-3 leaves, and shorter ones are left untouched. This trimming will create spurs to carry future fruit. In winter, shape the tree and thin any congested areas of growth to ensure good air circulation and light penetration, which keeps the tree healthy.
The fan-trained trees will benefit from small-scale pruning to maintain the shape and keep the center open. It is better to prune lightly and not remove more than a third of the tree’s growth – remember the one-third pruning rule, and you’ll avoid stressing the tree.
The main structural arms shouldn’t need replacing as they have a long lifespan. If the time comes to replace an established arm, train a strong, younger lateral over two seasons, and phase out the older limb. This is the best way to refresh the framework and maintain fruit over the years.
While most focus is on pruning, don’t ignore tying in shoots. This is an equally important task, so spend time tying shoots into the framework during the winter and summer trimming sessions.
Fruit trees can also be grown as espaliers, and apples and pears are popular fruits to grow in this way. These trained trees also need regular trimming, and, just like with fans, you prune espalier apple trees in winter and summer.
Winter is the time for renovation and dealing with congestion, while summer restricts growth and lets more light and air in to help ripen fruits.
Shop Pruning Tools
These Fiskars bypass pruning shears have a precision-ground steel blade that can cut through branches up to 5/8-inch diameter.
These bypass pruning shears are made from forged steel and feature a sleek, narrow profile. They can cut branches and stems up to 3/4-inch in diameter.
These lightweight, professional pruning shears have an ultra-sharp carbon steel cutting blade. They can cut branches up to 1 inch thick.
