Summer pruning is a confusing management practice. It starts around late spring or very early summer and may continue all summer long. Its purpose is twofold: keep the tree smaller and reduce the winter pruning workload. Summer pruning focuses on removal of new growth only from existing productive trees. Summer pruning allows the tree to invest new growth where it senses light and a "hole" in the canopy needs to be "plugged". When fruit trees are meant to stay small, summer pruning can be a valuable management tool. Learn all about it on this episode of Desert Horticulture.