Pruning
Featured Publications
Shrub Pruning Calendar
For many woody plants, pruning should only be done at particular times of the year. Find out when to prune with our pruning calendar. Coming soon.
How to hire an arborist
For dangerous or complicated pruning jobs, hire a local certified arborist.
Pruning Trees
Information on pruning deciduous trees (which loose their leaves every winter).
Pruning Evergreen Trees
Information on pruning evergreen trees (which do not loose their leaves in the winter).
Pruning Crapemyrtle
One of Virginia's most common trees--and most commonly pruned incorectly. Learn to prune your crapemyrtle.
Physiology of Pruning Fruit Trees
Pruning is an artform that can take years to master. This pub covers pruning basics and applies to more than fruit trees.
Recent Tree, Shrub, and Groundcover Publications
Recent Fruit Publications
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- 10 Years' Experiences with Plasticulture Strawberries in a Colder Area
- Specialty Muskmelons
- Pepper Weevil
- Virginia Virtual Farm to Table: Strawberries
- Growing Pears in Virginia Pears are the second most important deciduous tree fruit after apple, and it has been grown in Europe since prehistoric times. Pears belong to the genus Pyrus and probably originated near the Black and Caspian Seas. French and English colonists brought pears to America and the first record of pears in the North America was in Massachusetts in 1630. Although pear is a popular fruit, it is not grown as widely as apple. Pears can be grown throughout much of North America because they tolerate a wide range of climatic conditions.
- Growing Cherries in Virginia Cherries are grown in many parts of the world, but they have never gained the popularity in North America that they have in Europe and the Middle East. Cherries probably originated in the region between the Caspian and Black Seas, where trees still grow in the wild.
- Growing Peaches and Nectarines in Virginia An orchard is a long-term investment and careful planning is essential to ensure economic success. Establishing and maintaining a peach planting to bearing age (three years) costs about $3,500 per acre. Mistakes made at planting often cannot be corrected; other mistakes that can be corrected could seriously jeopardize the economic success of the orchard. Because profit margins for commercial fruit plantings are small, orchards should be established only under the most favorable conditions for success.
- Pruning Peach Trees Annual pruning is a critical management practice for producing easily harvested, heavy crops of high quality peaches. However, pruning is not a substitute for other orchard practices such as fertilization, irrigation, and pest control. Pruning practices vary slightly in different regions of the United States, but have changed little in the East during the past 70 years. Although pruning may vary slightly for different varieties and localities, certain general practices should be followed. The successful pruner must understand the principles of plant growth, the natural growth habit of the tree, and how the tree will respond to certain types of pruning cuts. Improper pruning will reduce yield and fruit quality.
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