Many people associate pruning with changing the structure of your tree to fit a different size or style. However, this is not the case. Changing the structure of the tree is known as "tree training". This is a better way to develop an alternative look for your tree. Pruning should be used to prevent diseases, prevent one-sidedness, and encourage healthy fruit development.
Pruning is also used to maintain the proper shape for the tree. For example, if you have an abundance of branches on a particular side of the tree, you would use pruning to get rid of large sections that weigh down the tree on one side. Think of it more in terms of maintaining rather than replacing it. While pruning is sometimes useful, most of the time you can use training as a healthier and more efficient alternative.
Training hasn't been around for very long. By tying up the branches or raising them off the ground, one can direct the tree's growth to take whatever shape they wish. This principle is usually used early in the tree to encourage it to fully develop. If you direct the tree and start it on the right foot, you'll save yourself a lot of time later.
Usually, training takes place during the summer. Instead of cutting off all the branches that aren't going the right way, you try to redirect them. The mechanism you use can be thought of as orthodontic braces for your fruit tree. They pull or push branches like teeth in the direction you want them to go. Ultimately, they grow the same way naturally because of your training.
It can be hard to decide how exactly to train your tree. There are many different forms and sizes to choose from. Some are meant to allow a higher density of trees in a garden, and some to produce maximum fruit per tree. Depending on where your tree is and how you want it to function, you'll need to look for a variety of forms that fit your situation perfectly.
The principles of training can be applied even if you are growing a tree in the traditional (natural) form. Sometimes branches grow too close to each other and block each other, so training them to be away from each other can prevent the need to cut them later. This is extremely beneficial, even if you are growing a tree in your backyard in a non-professional environment.
To train a tree, you'll need some sort of outer brace to push or pull a branch. Alternatively, if you want to push 2 branches closer together or further apart, you can put something between them or tie them together with a rope. Successfully training your branches takes a little imagination in deciding what to tie things to and what to push away. I've found that stakes, fences, or just a straight two to four bends away can work wonders.
There is no tree grower who can't benefit from using a little training in their tree-growing getaway. Whether you've decided to give your trees a complete facelift, or optimize branch placement for healthier fruit, there's certainly some way that training can benefit you.
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