Beware of Fake Fruit Branches! Prune These Energy-Stealing Shoots From Fruit Trees Before Spring Arrives
You might not know it, but fake fruit branches could be growing on your trees right now – and if left in place they will cause misery at harvest time. Here’s how to banish those energy thieves in late winter to help boost productive wood before the spring
Walk past a fruit tree in late winter, and those tall, straight shoots pointing skyward may look like healthy growth. But they're not. Water sprouts, as they are commonly known, are the tree's version of a mid-life crisis. They are the epitome of stress, with panic growth that accomplishes nothing, while burning through energy the tree needs for actual fruit.
Most backyard orchards have at least a few of these “fake fruit” imposters hiding amongst legitimate branches. Fruit tree pruning generally involves cutting away dead wood and shaping for light. Removing water sprouts on fruit trees is primarily about rescuing future harvests. Leave them where they are, and they multiply fast, shading out fruiting wood and stealing nutrients. You need to cut them now before buds swell, and your tree wastes more time sustaining growth that'll never result in a single crop.
Because every water sprout can grow so rapidly, every day you wait after the sap begins to rise is energy wasted on wood that will never produce fruit. So take steps now to remove water sprouts before they really start to drain your fruit tree’s life force. Don't let these energy thieves steal future fruits. Here’s how to get rid of those energy bandits for healthier trees – and happier harvests.
The Impostors in Your Orchard
Water sprouts are those perfectly vertical shoots that pop up from horizontal branches or straight out of the trunk. They grow fast (sometimes several feet in a season) with leaves spaced far apart along smooth, whip-like stems. As well as being vigorous, they produce zero fruit while draining energy meant for harvest.
Trees shoot out water sprouts as a stress response. Heavy pruning, storm damage, drought, pests, or old age can trigger them. The tree panics and pushes out emergency shoots, trying to rebuild the lost canopy. The problem is, water sprouts on fruit trees grow from dormant buds that normally stay asleep. They don't develop the lateral branches and fruit spurs that productive wood does, so they never contribute to harvest, no matter how long they sit on the tree.
If you have wall-trained or espaliered trees, keep a close watch. The structural pruning these trees require often triggers a heavy flush of sprouts. This isn't just a fruit tree problem. Maples and oaks also throw out these epicormic shoots (the technical name for water sprouts) when stressed or over-pruned.
Spot the Fake Fruit Energy Thieves
Tree water sprouts stand out once you know what to look for. They grow vertically even when coming off horizontal branches. That upright angle gives them away. Bark will be smooth and green, compared to the rougher, grayer bark on older wood. The leaf spacing can look a little off, too. The leaves will grow several inches apart, instead of clustering like they tend to do on fruiting branches.
Don't confuse water sprouts with suckers, though. Suckers grow from the rootstock below the graft union, often popping up from roots several feet from the trunk. Water sprouts come from above the graft, emerging from the trunk or scaffolding branches. Both steal resources, but need different removal. Suckers get dug out from their root connection. Tree water sprouts need to be pruned at their base.
Why Later Is Too Late for Pruning
Late winter pruning works best for removing water sprouts. The tree is still dormant but close enough to spring that structure shows clearly without leaves in the way. Wounds heal faster when cut just before active growth kicks in, and the tree redirects energy into legitimate fruiting wood instead of regrowing removed sprouts.
Not pruning now would be a big mistake. Wait until leaves come out, and it's harder to see what you're cutting. The tree has burned energy pushing out growth on water sprouts, wasting resources that could have gone to fruit. Prune too early (December or January) and the tree sits with open wounds through the coldest stretch of winter, inviting disease.
Tree wounds heal faster when cut just before active growth kicks in, and the tree redirects energy into legitimate fruiting wood instead of regrowing sprouts. In warmer regions (USDA zones 8-10), this window closes fast. Once the buds swell, the tree has already committed nutrients to these thieves. Pruning them in February hits that perfect timing where dormancy is wrapping up, but growth hasn't fired back up yet.
What Happens if You Don't Act
Water sprouts left on the tree create a cascade of problems. They shade out lower fruiting branches, cutting the light those productive branches need for flowers and fruit. Less light means fewer flowers. Dense vertical growth blocks air circulation through the canopy, creating humid pockets where fungal diseases love to set up.
Energy drain is the real killer, though. Every foot of water sprout growth is energy not going to fruit. The tree feeds those vigorous shoots first since they're growing so actively, leaving fruiting spurs starved for nutrients. Harvests drop year after year as more energy gets pulled into non-productive wood. So there’s no time to lose!
Grab your gloves, and a sturdy pair of ladders. Make sure your gloves are thick, but allow full movement. A gauntlet style like the Arm Protecting Gloves from Uncommon Goods is great for jaunty water sprouts. For high-up water sprout work, always use a sturdy tripod ladder like the Werner Fiberglass Type 1A Tripod Ladder from Lowe’s.
Grab Your Pruning Superheroes
When you're tasked with big cuts, you need the best kit. Grab these pruning legends to make light work of removing those pesky water sprouts!
For branches around an inch or less in thickness, use these industry leading bypass pruners for clean cuts that heal fast – plus, they are easier on your wrist.
Cuts thick branches a couple of inches (5 cm) thick, and great for slicing through tough woody growth, as well as those tiresome higher-up water sprouts.
Where branches are more than 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter, this saw has an awesome cutting action. It leaves lovely smooth cuts, and it is easy to store.
How to Snip Like a Pro
Sharp bypass pruners work best for most water sprout removal. The Fiskars Bypass Pruning Shears from Amazon stay sharp through heavy use and make clean cuts that heal faster than crushed stems from dull blades. Make cuts at a slight angle just outside the branch collar – that raised ridge where the sprout comes off the parent branch. Don't cut into the collar itself, but don't leave a stub poking out beyond it either. The collar tissue has cells in it that heal the wound naturally without help.
For water sprouts growing from the trunk, find the point where the texture changes from smooth sprout bark to rough trunk, and cut there. You’ll need to sterilize tools between cuts to avoid spreading infections and diseases like fire blight. A good rubbing alcohol is Swan 70% Isopropyl Alcohol, available from Amazon in double packs. Keep in a spray bottle as an alternative to cloth applications.
Search and Destroy: 3 Ds and Beyond
Start with the 3 Ds, which is any dead, diseased, and damaged wood. Anything that's clearly not alive, or dying, gets removed first. Dead stubs and diseased branches provide entry points for pests that make water sprout problems worse by stressing the tree further. After the 3 Ds, you can move to the sprouts. With clutter gone, the tree's true framework emerges, so it’s easier to remove troublemakers.
Remove these energy bandits completely at the base – don't leave any stubs. Stubs act as hydras, sprouting multiple new shoots where there was one before. Cut flush with the parent branch or trunk using sharp pruners for small stems. Larger water sprouts will need a good pruning saw. The Corona RazorTooth Folding Pruning Saw, available from Amazon, has a curved steel blade for ergonomic slicing and is adept at handling water sprouts that are thicker than a thumb.
After pruning, it’s a good idea to give your fruit tree a little mulching to help settle it and protect the roots ahead of spring. Pick a wood chip or shredded bark based option, such as Brut Aspen Organic Mulch from Amazon, with a lightweight, fine mulch texture. Add in a donut-style around the base of the trunk, leaving a couple of inches clear around the tree so as to prevent the risk of trunk rots.
Preventing Future Water Sprouts
Water sprouts usually show up when a tree is stressed. Over-pruning is the big culprit. Take off too much canopy in one season and the tree panics, trying to replace lost leaves. Lighter yearly pruning avoids that shock. Sunscald on young trunks can also kick it off. Regular deep watering and not going crazy with fertilizer can keep things steady. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers in early spring if your tree is prone to water sprouts. Excess nitrogen acts like rocket fuel for non-productive shoots, and will make your pruning job twice as hard next year.
Clearing shoots once a year, ideally in late winter, sends energy back into fruiting wood instead of useless whips. Light reaches the inner canopy again, air moves through instead of sitting damp, and the main branches get the support they need to set decent fruit. A few sprouts coming back the first year isn’t failure, though – it’s normal, so take heart. Stay consistent, and the tree usually levels out. By next summer, hopefully you’ll be enjoying fuller harvests, sturdier structure, and less chaos overall.
Don't Forget These Fruit Care Picks
This priority tree food provides the right balance of nutrients and is a great slow-release option for fruit trees.
Stress from uneven watering is a primary trigger for water sprouts; this meter helps you monitor soil conditions and reduce the obvious panic triggers.
Protect your forearms from the whip of long vertical sprouts as you reach into the center of the canopy. Gauntlet style to protect forearms from long sprouts.
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