Forest trees look great without humans’ intervention. However, landscaped or homegrown trees are entirely different. We need to prune the trees in our backyard for them to add appeal to our homes and for them to maintain their structural integrity. Pruning trees in our backyard will surely make our property look beautiful and at the same time promote healthy growth and productivity in our trees.
What is Pruning?
Pruning is the process of cutting away weak, diseased, or dead limbs of the tree to improve its form, encourage growth, and reduce the risk of spreading disease. Pruning is also done to allow air and sunlight to penetrate the inside of the tree’s crown, to reduce shade and wind resistance, or for aesthetic landscape purposes.
Fruiting trees like Persimmon are typically pruned to improve the tree’s health, manage the tree’s structure, and to increase bloom and fruit production.
Prune that Persimmon Tree
- Why prune the tree? – Persimmon trees should be pruned regularly for them to develop a strong frame. It is especially important due to the brittle nature of the wood, which can easily break when the tree is laden with heavy fruits.
- When to prune the tree? – Pruning Persimmons should be done once a year, in late winter or early spring when the tree is dormant, to shape-up the structure and prevent alternate bearing. If the limbs crack or the branches break under the weight of the fruit, you should also prune the Persimmon tree during the fruiting season. Remove about a quarter of fruit or thin out the limbs that bear fruits.
- What do I need? – Before you start cutting away on your tree the first thing you have to do is to prepare the tools you will be using for pruning. Bypass shears and pruning loppers are highly recommended and you can buy them at gardening supply stores. Use sharp tools to ensure that you make a clean cut that heals faster and more efficiently, resulting in a healthier tree. It is also important that the tools you will use are clean. Using a clean rag dabbed with rubbing alcohol, wipe your tools in between cutting to reduce the spread of disease or pathogens.
- How to prune my tree? – Start by cutting decaying or dead branches. For twigs smaller than a quarter of an inch use bypass shears. Use pruning loppers for anything larger than ¼ inch. Next, snip backward bending branches since they will not bear any fruit.
Once you are rid of dead branches, you may move on to the rest of the tree. Cut the length of each branch by 1/3 to encourage growth. Make sure that you cut the branches to a point near the bud that is facing the direction you want the tree to grow. Cut the branch at an angle within a half inch of the bud then remove any crossed or crowded branches from the center of the tree to let it grow in an open, beautiful shape.