--- title: Pruning Fruit Trees in Reno and Carson City url: https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/pruning-fruit-trees-reno-carson-city/ business: Battle Born Tree Service address: 6301 US Highway 50 East, Carson City, NV 89701 phone: 775.232.8243 hours: Office Monday-Friday 8:30 am-5:00 pm; phones answered seven days a week; 24-hour emergency service credentials: ISA Certified Arborist WE-11728A on staff; Nevada Business License # 20131580674; fully insured type: Tree service (removal, crane work, pruning, stump grinding, defensible space, snow removal, firewood) --- - [Home](https://battleborntreeservice.com/) - [The Field Guide](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/) - Pruning fruit trees in Reno and Carson City # How do you prune fruit trees in Reno and Carson City? Prune backyard fruit trees in the dormant season, in late January and February before growth starts, and take no more than 15 to 20 percent of a mature tree's live wood in one year. Dead or broken branches can come out any time. Key takeaways - Dormant-season pruning, late January and February, is the standard window. - On a mature tree, remove no more than 15 to 20 percent of the live wood. Dead wood does not count toward that limit. - Apple, pear and plum fruit on spurs on wood two years old or older; peaches and nectarines fruit on one-year-old shoots. - Early bloomers (apricot, peach, plum) can lose blossoms to a late freeze after a warm spell. - Spraying and pest treatment are not part of Battle Born's services. These numbers come from University of Nevada, Reno Extension, which writes for our climate: cold winters, dry summers and spring freezes that arrive after the blossoms. Fruit trees are pruned differently from shade trees, because you are shaping wood to carry a crop. ## When should you prune fruit trees in Northern Nevada? Extension's guidance for backyard orchards in Northern Nevada is that most growers prune during the dormant season, late in January and in February, before the trees start growing. Bare branches make the unwanted wood and dead wood easier to spot. Dead or broken branches can be removed at any time of year. Our valleys are not uniform. Reno sits near 4,500 feet in zone 7b, Carson City near 4,680 feet in zone 7a and Minden near 4,725 feet in zone 6b. A warm week in February does not mean the season has turned, so watch the buds. ## How much can you prune off a fruit tree in a year? On a mature fruit tree, Extension says to remove no more than about 15 to 20 percent of the live wood in a year. Dead, dried-up wood does not count against that figure. A tree that has been neglected for years is better brought back over several winters than in one heavy cut. The ISA adds the rule that applies to every tree: no branch should be cut without a reason. Good reasons on a fruit tree are dead wood, crossing and inward-growing branches, and opening the canopy so light reaches the fruit. ## Know where your tree fruits - Apple, pear and plum fruit on short spurs on wood two years old or older, so keep that older wood. - Peaches and nectarines fruit on one-year-old shoots. Remove inward-growing branches and keep the strongest outward-growing fruiting branches. - Cutting off the wood that carries the fruit is the most common way to lose a crop to pruning. ## Training systems in plain terms | System | Typical trees | What it looks like | |---|---|---| | Central leader | Apples, pears | One dominant upright trunk with branches spaced around it | | Open center | Apricot, nectarine, peach, plum, sometimes cherry | Strong side scaffold branches with the middle open, fruit within picking range | | Modified central leader | Mostly commercial orchards | Grown as a central leader to a set height, then opened up | | Espalier | Apples, pears | Trained flat against a fence or wall, useful in small spaces | ## Late frost and bloom timing Extension warns that low-chill trees such as apricot, plum and peach can bloom during a warm false spring in late winter and lose their blossoms to a later freeze. Apple and pear bloom later and are more dependable. Its guide also notes that a northeast exposure can delay the spring thaw and protect open buds. Pruning does not protect blossoms from frost, but it should not push growth earlier. Do the cutting in the dormant window, and do not stimulate the tree with heavy cuts in a warm spell. ## Where an arborist helps Many homeowners handle light fruit-tree pruning themselves. Call a professional when the tree is tall, when limbs are over a roof or wires, when a large branch is broken, or when an old tree has too much dead wood to sort out alone. Climbing and cutting overhead is not a place to learn. Battle Born Tree Service has two ISA Certified Arborists on staff, including ISA Certified Arborist WE-11728A. We do not spray fruit trees or treat pests. If you need that, the Extension office and Nevada-licensed applicators are the right contacts. For the pruning and structure side, see our [tree trimming and pruning](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/tree-trimming-pruning/) service, or ask for a free estimate. ### Sources - [University of Nevada, Reno Extension: Getting Started with Backyard Fruit Trees in Northern Nevada](https://extension.unr.edu/publication.aspx?PubID=3171) (read October 17, 2026) - [International Society of Arboriculture, Trees Are Good: Pruning Your Trees](https://www.treesaregood.org/treeowner/pruningyourtrees) (read October 17, 2026) - [USDA Agricultural Research Service: Plant Hardiness Zone Map](https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/) (retrieved October 1, 2026) ### Talk to the office [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243) | Monday to Friday | 8:30 am - 5:00 pm | |---|---| | Saturday and Sunday | Office closed, phones answered | Phones answered seven days a week. 24-hour emergency service. [Free estimate](#quote) ### Keep reading - [Best time to prune trees in Northern Nevada](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/best-time-to-prune-trees-northern-nevada/) - [Apple and other fruit trees](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/apple-and-fruit-trees/) - [Crown thinning, raising and reduction: what each means](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/crown-thinning-raising-reduction/) - [Tree trimming and pruning](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/tree-trimming-pruning/) - [Pruning and trimming questions](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/pruning-and-trimming/) - [Free estimate](https://battleborntreeservice.com/free-estimate/) ### Terms on this page [Central leader](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/central-leader/) [Arborist](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/arborist/) [The full glossary](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/) ## More from the blog Pruning and care October 17, 2026 5 min read ### What should you do with your trees in October in Carson City and Reno? In October, finish watering while the ground is open, look over your trees for dead or hanging limbs, and clear leaves and needles away from the house. Save most live-wood pruning for the dormant seas Pruning and care October 17, 2026 6 min read ### Young trees in new subdivisions: the first ten years A young tree in a new subdivision needs very little pruning in its first two or three years, then steady structural pruning to build one strong central trunk and well-spaced branches. The ISA says tre Removal and equipment October 17, 2026 6 min read ### Where tree debris and green waste go in Reno and Carson City Green waste has a few legitimate homes in our area: the landfill or transfer station if the load is only wood and green waste, a fire district drop-off day or curbside chipping program if you qualify, [All posts](https://battleborntreeservice.com/blog/) ## Questions people ask Still have a question? Call [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243). Phones are answered seven days a week. ### When should I prune apple trees in Carson City? In the dormant season, late January and February, before growth starts, per University of Nevada, Reno Extension. Dead and broken branches can be removed at any time. ### How much can I cut off a mature fruit tree? Extension's limit is about 15 to 20 percent of the live wood in a year. Dead wood does not count. ### Why did my apricot lose its blossoms? Early bloomers can open during a warm spell in late winter and then freeze. Extension calls this a false spring. Apples and pears bloom later. ### Does Battle Born spray fruit trees? No. We prune, shape, remove and clear. Spraying and pest treatment are outside our services.