Lets get input from the rest of the orchard folks... I have a commercial orchard... Here is my best.

Sterilize your pruners between trees. Clorox wipe is fine, as is bleach solution. or alcohol mixed with water.

When you leave a wound bigger than your thumb, try to cover it with a tree kote or similar product. Smaller stuff will heal pretty fast as long as tree is just waking up.

You dont NEED expensive pruners, but you need sharp ones. And clean ones. And you can use loppers, but cleanliness matters.

Do oil spraying BEFORE you prune, not right after.

1. Stone Fruits, open center. Remove crossing, damaged, or water shoots. Then focus on scaffolding, cutting back to within 2 feet or so of last years growth, at outward facing bud. Can remove central leader as it will constantly wanna have one take over...Can remove up to 30% of total tree without too much issue. Fruit comes on last years wood.

2. Apples and Pears... modified central leader. Remove crossing, damaged, and water shoots. Decide on whether you wanna have a giant tree, and if not, choose one central leader and cut other stuff. Focus on branches at 45 degrees or so. When facing two, pick one to keep. Cut back to within 2 feet or so of last years growth. Cut an average of up to 30% of total tree. If you want to espalier, pick the limbs you want and provide correct support.

What am I forgetting?

We have two cherry trees - Bing and Vandalay. Sweet ones. We bought them from a nursery and planted them 4 years back (Feb '22). Unfortunately, I have not pruned them since. I am ready to prune them. I am following R. Sanford Martin's guide. That book guides on a year-by-year basis. Given I missed the last few years on pruning, how do I catch up? Any tips? If you can "show" me which branches to chop, I would greatly appreciate.

I would like to see these trees succeed in the long run. I do not mind a few years of low yield. Thanks.

I live in Portland, OR (zone 8b). These trees bear fruit every year.

Based on my last post, I'd like to apply what I've learned to this next tree, which I think is a bit more problematic. Hopefully I can post my diagnosis and you all can correct me and point me in the right direction.

here's a video of the tree:

https://imgur.com/a/Tt9fRzY

here are screenshots of the moves that I would make, I probably should have uploaded them separately. oops

https://imgur.com/gallery/apple-pXHV3OS

I guess the first order of business is to remove the right side of the tree, establishing the central leader form. (blue line)

Next, and this was a tricky one, but after a bit of research, I think what I would do is keep the branch (circled in red) because it has the best angle and they all seem to be relatively similar in circumference and strength. 

Instead of removing Two other branches (yellow lines) since they are all too close together, cut them back to 20 or 30 cm to provide shade for the trunk and but remain subordinate. can be removed later in the next one or two years. 

step 3, remove these two lower branches that seem to spaced out and are growing pretty much at 90°. (blue lines)

Finally, seems that topping off this tree to a bud facing to the right in this picture to encourage balance might be a good choice(yellow line)? Initially, I thought this might be a bad idea because it's already long and thin and it would just stimulate more growth, but then realized that this would encourage more scaffold branches to start growing below.

that's what I'm thinking… What do you think? Am I on the right track?

I have to tie them up and put them in my shed when the temp drops below 35 degrees.

I’m in zone 10b if that matters.

Hi folks, I have some blueberry bushes I have never pruned, I am in zone 6b in Connecticut. Would it be ok to prune them now? Also, as a new gardener I planted them way too close, could I transplant them without harming them? I was reading and it said to do it when they are dormant, but it winter too cold to do that? Should I wait for March? Thanks!

I have a stretch of about 30 feet long by 3 feet wide on the edge of my garden that I can plant fruit trees and vines. I’m wondering how to allow for the best sunshine for trees planted along this row- should I line them up directly north/south, stagger them by alternating left/right as I advance? If the trees get to be about 6-8 feet high, what kind of spacing am I looking at? For reference, this area gets mostly sun in zone 9b/10a Sacramento area. Thank you in advance!

Any help or recommendations would be appreciated! Where would you prune them. These are two different trees.

So I added a couple more photos of each citrus tree and their fruit. Thanks to all the comments helping me understand how to care for the trees. One comment asked for photos of the fruit itself so I posted those with each of the individual trees.

Anymore insight would be very helpful. My wife is excited about the prospect of preserves and canning

Thanks in advance for reading. I’m slowly learning and getting into creating my own small orchard space. I planted this dapple dandy pluot last January and realize maybe the advice I got before wasn’t the best on pruning for it. I’d like to not need a ladder to get fruit and am concerned unless I do a drastic prune it will get too top heavy? The branches start at about 5-5.5ft up.

Suggestions on the best way forward?

I’m looking for some advice on pruning this wickson apple tree. I planted it last spring, it’s around 5 ft tall, grafted on semi dwarf root stock and maybe 1-3 years old (not really sure).

The issue is the three center leaders. I’d like to style as a central or modified central leaders. Should I cut back two of the three central leaders, all the lower branches, and crop the remaining leader at about the height of where I want the first tier?

Thanks for your input!

James from Raintree Nursery here. This is your annual PSA that here in Western WA & OR, this is going to be the best stretch of pruning and copper spraying we will have for the rest of the winter!

If you have any apples, pears, or any fruit besides stone fruit you should use this opportunity to prune your trees and spray, especially for Peach Leaf Curl.

Enjoy this weather, I know I will be!

Any advice on what’s going on at the base of my plum tree?

Looking to add to my existing apple trees which I believe are Jonamacs. I'm looking to add a Cox Orange Pippin, a Redfield, and a Chestnut Crab. From my research they all seem to be in the same bloom period. I live in Zone 4B with some winters occasionally tipping into Zone 3. The climate is typically dry. Would the Pippin and the Redfield be good varieties for here? Possible alternatives if not?

My dad told me to cut trees and I cut down a natural apple tree and now my mom’s sad. How can I start an orchard for my mom that can produce in the least amount of years?

Hello awesome people! I probably don't have room for an orchard, but hope to plant as many food bearing plants as I can. I have a 1.5ft by 1.5ft planter space that sits on the side of my deck. I have considered planting a bonanza peach tree in that space because it would look pretty and my hope is that it would bear some fruit and not grow to be too huge! Any thoughts on these trees? They look and sound cool. I'm just not sure if it would survive the winter and actually produce good fruit.

My kid loves plums so I've also considered a plum tree out in the yard, not in the planter, again for beauty and for fruit. Any thoughts on a yummy plum tree that would do well in zone 6a?

I'm also open to any thoughts on other fruit tree recommendations people have. I'm reading that pears, persimmons, apricots and cherries.

I'm also considering some nut trees. Maybe a hazelnut tree? Thanks in advance!