A fruit tree that has gone unattended for a few years can be quite a mess of broken branches, dead twigs, and tangles. However, unless the damage is severe, and the tree has several large broken branches, or is split down the trunk, it is certainly worth trying to bring back. At the very worst you will have wasted a little time and energy.
| Step One: |
Start early in the spring, before the buds have begun to swell. Remove and dead branches, any with split or badly damaged bark, and any broken branches. When you cut, remove the branches completely, at the trunk of the tree, or a vigorous lateral.
| Step Two: |
Remove all suckers. These are vigorous branches which grow vertically, straight up from main branches, the trunk, or the tree roots. They do nothing but rob the tree of nutrients and should be pulled off. Pulling them discourages the growth of more suckers from the same spot, but an old tree, this might be difficult. Cut them off right at the branch, trunk or root, and file any leftover bump down flush.
| Step Three: |
Remove any branches which cross or rub together. Unless the damage to the bark is severe on both, remove only one of the two. Choose the one growing in an outward direction, away from the trunk.
| Step Four: |
Let the sun shine in. To stimulate growth on the inner portions of the branches you have to open up the center of the tree. This is accomplished by removing laterals, paying particular attention to the very top of the crown. This is the part where the branches end directly above the main trunk. By thinning the number of branches that terminate in this area, the center of the tree is opened up to let more light in. Any other crowded areas of the crown should be thinned as well.
Look for the laterals which end in the crowded areas, and remove them. Cut them off right at the branch, angling the cut along the branch so you do not leave a stump. This method is described more thoroughly in the section on Thinning the Crown of mature trees.
| Step Five: |
Thin any crowded twiggy growth at the ends of the branches.
| Step Six: |
Paint all wounds larger than one-half inch in diameter with tree-wound dressing. Pick up all the branches you have removed from around the tree. Take them well away from the tree because they often harbor pests. Remove all grass and weeds from around the tree from the trunk out to the drip line under the ends of the branches.
| Step Seven: |
Stand back and admire your hard work, and wait for the warm weather to see how much good it did.
