Fruit-bearing plants require well-organized pruning operations to keep them healthy and productive. Each plant needs a personalized program of periodic interventions, but pruning can be carried out mainly at two times of the year: in winter, i.e. during the period of vegetative rest of the plant, and in summer, i.e. when the fruit tree it is during its vegetative and fruiting phase.
Summer pruning, also called green pruning, has numerous benefits, as long as it is carried out with specialized skills and suitable tools. Campagnola solutions are designed precisely to allow users to obtain efficient results, without ever stressing the plant: it is a wide range of products that includes shears (electric, pneumatic and manual), chain pruners (electric, battery-operated or plug-ins, or pneumatic), loppers and manual saws.
Let’s delve deeper into the topic and understand how and why to prune the main fruit trees during the summer months.
Why are plants pruned in summer?
Summer pruning is carried out when the plants have already started vegetative activity and has the aim of containing their development and excessive growth, concentrating the fruit tree’s resources on the productive branches.
Pruning carried out in a workmanlike manner can therefore improve the fruit yield and optimize the size of the fruit that will be produced, also making their appearance and flavour better. Among the objectives of green pruning there is also that of preserving the health of the plant. In fact, eliminating dry, damaged, or unproductive branches allows for better radiation and homogeneous ventilation of the foliage, which actively prevents and counteracts the proliferation of pathogens and parasites.
Furthermore, pruning plants in summer improves their aesthetic performance and stability, making them more capable of resisting challenging weather conditions and increasing the safety of the areas below, which remain free from the danger of falling branches.
In order for the operation to lead to the desired results, it must be carried out with professional tools suitable for the type of fruit tree on which you wish to intervene. The Campagnola proposals present in the PROFESSIONAL Line and in the GREEN Line are designed precisely to facilitate clean and precise cuts during summer pruning sessions and cover all the needs that users encounter during this important activity.
Green pruning: which plants should be pruned in summer?
For truly effective summer pruning, it is best to proceed with caution, adopting suitable procedures for each plant involved and never eliminating more than 30% of the vegetation, so as not to risk depriving the fruit tree of sap and energy.
What are the main plants that benefit from this operation? Among the main ones are:
- the kiwi tree;
- the olive tree;
- the apricot tree;
- the medlar tree;
- the nut tree;
- the cherry tree;
- the apple tree;
- the persimmon tree;
- the plum tree;
- the peach tree;
- The raspberry tree;
- the lemon tree;
- the fig tree.
Summer pruning techniques for fruit trees
There are different types and techniques of summer pruning. Among the main actions to be carried out on fruit trees, there may be:
- the shortening of the branches or spurring, which consists of a more decisive shortening cut (only the spur remains on the branch, in fact, with 2/3 buds);
- topping, i.e. the elimination of the apical bud in the upper part of the plant, an operation which eliminates vegetative development and instead favours fruit production;
- the elimination of fruitless suckers, i.e. the removal of parts of the plant that steal sap and nourishment from the branches that should instead produce quality fruit;
- thinning of the branches, with the elimination of unproductive ones, those that have grown towards the inside of the foliage, broken or not functional to production;
- the bending and tying of the branches that need to be repositioned, always in order to obtain a better balance of the nutritional resources of the fruit tree and/or the desired training method;
- trimming, i.e. the elimination of shoots that have grown in excess.
These are delicate operations, which require specialized skills and the use of efficient and technologically advanced tools, such as those created in the Campagnola Research & Development laboratories, drawing inspiration from careful and constant listening to market needs.
Campagnola tools for summer pruning
For ad hoc pruning it is essential to equip yourself with professional, well-sharpened, clean, and efficient tools, which can make the operations quick and efficient, with the utmost respect for the health and well-being of the plants.
Among the Campagnola professional tools designed for pruning you can find:
- electric chain pruners with backpack battery, such as the powerful KRONOS 58;
- pneumatic chain pruners, such as LINX, LASER and AUTOLUBE M.3;
- electric chain pruners powered by plug-in lithium-ion batteries, namely T-FOX, T-REX, T-CAT M, T-REX 160-240 and T-REX 250-300;
- pneumatic shears, such as STAR 30, STAR 40 WITH ADAPTER, STAR 50 – F/6 U, SUPER STAR DOUBLE CUT or VICTORY;
- electric shears with plug-in batteries, i.e. STARK XM, STARK XL, SPEEDY AND STARK 90-160-220 V1;
- manual shears;
- manual loppers and saws.
To complete the product range, there is also the NEXI electric tying machine and a vast choice of accessories, batteries and power systems that can maximize performance, comfort during pruning and work safety.
To complete the product range, there is also the NEXI electric tying machine and a vast choice of accessories, batteries and power systems that can maximize performance, comfort during pruning and work safety.
Explore our website to understand which tools from the GREEN Line and PROFESSIONAL Line may be suitable for your needs. If you need assistance, do not hesitate to contact us or go to the Campagnola retailer closest to you!