Further Reading

Pruning fruit trees is important, because it lets the sun reach all parts of the tree. That means the tree will live longer and the fruits will be better. Swearing that I wouldn't call someone to do the job for me, I armed myself with my best sewing scissors and a ladder. Thirty minutes and a pinched thumb later, I managed to get the ladder set up. I felt like Jack on the beanstalk when I climbed up that thing.

When I reached the first limb, I realized I knew nothing about pruning fruit trees but I figured it couldn't be that hard. I realized my scissors weren't going to do the job after I tried cutting a smaller limb from the tree. That's when I pulled out my husband's chain saw.

It had to be more effective than scissors, after all. Except I didn't anticipate how loud it would be! It startled me. I tossed it on the ground. Lucky for me the grass is soft, because I topped off the ladder afterwards. Cursing that stupid chain saw, I went back up the ladder with it, and started it again. This time I was prepared.

I tried to cut that same small limb again. Apparently, chainsaws are really sharp as well. The chain saw was aggressive and chomped into six and half limbs. About 1/4th of my tree was lying on the ground now. My precious tree! If I wasn't ticked off before, I sure was now. But I wasn't about to give up, not even after one of the ravaged limbs struck my forehead and left a big scratch.

Grabbing the hedge shears, I started climbing the tree itself. After all, how hard can pruning fruit trees be? On the way up, I accidentally kicked the ladder over.

My head was bleeding, there was dirt stuck to my butt, and now I was stuck in that bleeping fruit tree. I was boiling mad by the time my husband found me. My husband was laughing as I made my way back towards the house. I gave one last withering look to the tree and muttered, "Until next year!"

Visit Fruit Tree Nursery and get the tips you need to make pruning Fruit Trees not only easy, but also fun. Plus we got some other great fruit tree advice as well.