Prune during dormancy, usually in late winter or very early spring
Use clean, sharp pruning shears or loppers
Remove dead, damaged, diseased, or weak wood
Cut out all canes that fruited last season
Keep the strongest one-year-old canes for next season’s fruiting
Trim back remaining canes to the desired number of buds
Leave short spurs or long canes depending on the training system
Remove crowded, crossing, or inward-growing shoots
Cut back excess growth to maintain airflow and sunlight
Keep the main trunk and permanent arms intact
Remove suckers growing from the base
Thin out overly dense areas
Make clean cuts just above a bud
Avoid pruning too late in spring
Dispose of pruned material to reduce disease spread