Learn about the importance of tree pruning

Tree pruning aims to achieve a number of different goals and benefits, including the following:

a) Increase the tree's annual fruiting by regulating its fruiting each year.

There is a common phenomenon in some fruit trees, especially olives and citrus, known as alternate bearing. This phenomenon means that in one year the trees bear a large amount of fruit, and in the following year they bear only one piece or a very limited amount of fruit.

Annual pruning helps to reduce this phenomenon because it reduces the number of flower buds in a good fruiting year or the wood that will bear flowers, and therefore some nutrients are provided for the next season and a tree bears a good fruit every year.

b) Increasing fruit quality by increasing size and color; this is achieved through pruning, which consists of:

1- Reducing the amount of wood that bears flowers and fruits, so that the tree is able to supply a limited quantity of fruit, and competition between fruits is low, leading to an increase in fruit size and color.

2- We open the heart of the tree, which exposes the fruit to the sun and ventilation, thus reducing pests and facilitating the spraying process, and consequently we obtain high-quality fruit without scratches and with clear colors.

Determining the appropriate shape and size of the tree, as seen in propagation pruning, hedge pruning, climbing plants, and shrub pruning and shaping.

  Removing infected, diseased, and broken branches and getting rid of tangled and conflicting branches provides better service to trees and shrubs and limits the spread of diseases and insects such as olive branch weevil and powdery mildew.

  Eliminating unwanted growth that often appears from the parent plant, such as crabs, water sprouts, and their droppings. This way, diversity is maintained, and no branches grow outside the native area.