August is the perfect time to give your fruit trees a strategic summer trimespecially if you want healthier fruit and better yields next season. Heres what to cut and why it matters 1. Apple Tree Why: Opens the canopy for more light, shapes future growth Prune: Crossing branches, water sprouts, and weak limbs 2. Peach Tree Why: Encourages fruiting wood and reduces disease pressure Prune: Upright shoots water sprouts and overextended limbs 3. Pear Tree Why: Improves airflow and prevents limb breakage Prune: Suckers at the base, crowded interior growth 4. Cherry Tree Why: Keeps tree compact and productive Prune: Crossing limbs, deadwood, and small upright shoots 5. Orange Tree Why: Promotes even fruit ripening and disease control Prune: Dead twigs, tangled inner branches, and weak shoots 6. Fig Tree Why: Prevents overcrowding and keeps energy focused Prune: Inward-growing branches and suckers at the base 7. Lemon Tree Why: Encourages airflow and keeps shape compact Prune: Lower branches, suckers, and dead wood 8. Plum Tree Why: Strengthens structure and prevents overgrowth Prune: Thin crowded limbs and remove damaged wood 9. Apricot Tree Why: Improves light penetration and fruit set next year Prune: Water sprouts and old interior branches