Native Fruits Pruning Workshop Demonstrates Care for Healthy Trees

Healthy fruit trees begin with careful pruning. Knowing where and when to cut can make the difference between a tree producing a strong harvest and one struggling to bear fruit.

In early March, Lincoln University of Missouri's (LU) Native and Specialty Crops Program brought community members together for a Native Fruits Pruning Workshop at Alan T. Busby Farm, the university's organic research farm in Jefferson City. The event focused on practical techniques for shaping and maintaining fruit trees.

Sue Bartelette, LU Cooperative Extension educator and landscape designer with the program, led the workshop by explaining key pruning concepts and tree structure before showing participants how those ideas work in practice.

She explained most pruning takes place in late winter to early spring, when the tree's structure is still easier to see before seasonal growth fully develops. During this stage, growers can make careful decisions about which branches to remove.

"One thing we want to think about is airflow," Bartelette said. "You want to open the canopy."

Bartelette used a native plum tree for the demonstration and guided participants through the process of examining the tree. She showed them how to identify problem areas before making cuts.

"First, look for dead branches," Bartelette said. "Then start looking at crossed branches or broken branches."

Dead or damaged branches can weaken the tree and limit healthy growth. Branches rubbing against each other or crossing over one another may also create wounds over time, making the tree more vulnerable to disease. Ideally, branches should grow outward with space between them rather than overlapping and crowding the tree. Removing those problem areas helps create a healthier, more open structure.

Participants gather around a native plum tree after the pruning demonstration, where the canopy was opened to create a balanced structure with more space for future fruit production

Bartelette reminded participants that careful pruning depends not only on what is removed, but on how each cut is made.

"When you make a cut, you want it to be clean," she said.

Clean cuts help the tree heal more quickly and reduce the chance of damage or disease. Jagged or poorly placed cuts can leave larger wounds that take longer to close and may weaken the tree over time.

Participants then gathered around the tree, identifying branches for removal and discussing the reasons behind each decision. By the end of the demonstration, the tree looked noticeably more open and balanced. This kind of careful pruning helps improve airflow and sunlight within the canopy, which can support stronger fruit production over time.

The Watsons (left) examine a native fruit tree and make pruning cuts during the Native Fruits Pruning Workshop at Alan T. Busby Farm.

Afterward, participants took pruning tools provided by the Native and Specialty Crops Program and headed into the orchard to try the techniques themselves. Working in small groups, they examined the branches, discussed which ones should be removed and made cuts of their own.

Ashley and Tyler Watson, a local couple who live near Busby Farm, said the workshop connected closely with their own gardening interests.

"We do a lot of native gardening," Ashley Watson said. "We've got some pawpaws, and plum trees are on the bucket list."

For the Watsons, the workshop offered practical information they can use as they plan future additions to their home landscape.

Participants listen as Sue Bartelette leads an indoor pruning session in Haywood City before heading outdoors for hands-on practice.