So, you planted some fruit trees earlier this year, but you’re not sure of how to care for them. Hopefully, you planted them (or it) in a place that receives full sun and where the soil is well-drained. If so, you have already made a good start.. If you chose a semi-dwarf of dwarf type of tree, that was a good choice because the standard tree of most of the popular fruits gets to be much larger than expected which makes harvesting more difficult unless you have or have access to one of those rigs that will allow you to reach the top of the tree. Apples and pears often exceed 60 feet in height, but peaches, plums and nectarines do not usually get so big
Another factor you must consider with fruit trees is pollination. Especially apples need cross pollination between two varieties or fruit set is likely to be somewhat limited. While wind may be sufficient to do the needed pollination for the home orchardist, bees are usually the major force that takes care of this requirement. There is no need to be concerned if you’re growing peaches and that family of fruit as these fruits are self-fertile thus no additional pollination is needed.
While young fruit trees are getting established and growing in size, they are also developing their system of branches for bearing and supporting a crop of fruit. A crop of fruit is a heavy load and needs strong limbs to avoid breakage. Careful training of the branches during the first three years in the orchard are thus important. Proper training can be done in three ways: by selective cutting, by the use of weights and by spreader sticks.
Both apples and pears are usually trained to what is called the modified leader system. This results in a tree with a low profile and strong limbs. In this system the lowest branch should be about waist high and, when possible, face in a southwest direction. As you prune up the trunk each of the remaining branches (usually about five or six) should be spaced about a foot apart (vertically) and a quarter of a turn around the trunk. The strongest branches are those that make a 45 or 90 degree angle with the trunk. Branches with narrow angles contain less wood and more bark and therefore are more likely to split away from the trunk when supporting a heavy load of fruit. Balance of the canopy should always be a consideration.
Peaches are typically trained to the “vase-shaped” system. Select three or four of the main branches near a three-foot level above the ground and radially around the trunk for your fruit production. Similar fruits are pruned the same way.
Citrus trees (though not recommended for growing in north Louisiana) usually have a suitable system of branches when purchased, but all limbs lower than 18 inches to the ground should be removed.