At Frog Hollow Farm, our orchards are living systems that are full of energy, character, and cycles of renewal. Every year, we prune our trees to guide their growth and support the next season’s crop. But every so often, we go deeper. This season, our team began a renewal pruning of our apricot trees, which is a process that’s more than simple maintenance. It’s an act of rejuvenation, one that ensures our trees remain vigorous and productive for years to come.

What Is Renewal Pruning?

While most pruning focuses on fine-tuning a tree’s productivity, renewal pruning is about restoring its vitality from the inside out. In a typical pruning year, we trim smaller branches, which are the thinner, fruit-bearing limbs that are about one to two years old. This kind of pruning helps balance a tree’s fruit load, ensuring that it can ripen sweet, high-quality fruit without exhausting itself.

Renewal pruning, however, goes much deeper. It involves removing large, structural limbs which are the upright, woody branches that form the tree’s main framework. These are cut back only when there’s a younger branch ready to take over the space. It’s not a light trim; it’s major surgery for the tree, done thoughtfully and strategically.

As Farmer Al explains, “Older wood loses its energy and vitality over time. The sap doesn’t flow as strongly, and the branch simply doesn’t have the same life force it once did. Think of human beings—when we’re young, our systems are full of energy. As we age, those systems slow down. The same is true of all forms of life, even trees.”

By cutting away the old wood and allowing younger branches to take its place, we’re giving the tree a fresh start, helping it redirect its energy into new, healthy growth.

Why Renewal Pruning Matters

Renewal pruning isn’t something we do often. A healthy tree can go 12 to 15 years before it needs this kind of deep pruning. That’s because it comes at a cost: by removing a major limb, we also remove a portion of the tree’s ability to produce fruit, which means a temporary reduction in yield.

But the tradeoff is worth it. Renewal pruning is a long-term investment in the health and productivity of the orchard. By selectively removing older structural branches, we set the stage for stronger growth, more balanced trees, and better-quality fruit in the future.

This year, our apricot orchard was ready for renewal. The trees had been producing heavily, and we had the time and manpower to give them the attention they needed. With a few careful cuts, we began reshaping their structure, creating openings in the canopy for sunlight and air to flow freely once again.

The Benefits: Light, Energy, and Sweetness

When we remove a large limb, it leaves a noticeable gap, but what fills that space is light. Sunlight streams into the interior areas of the tree, energizing the smaller branches that remain. This not only helps new shoots grow stronger but also has a direct impact on the fruit itself. As Farmer Al says, “That extra energy from the sunlight helps grow next year’s crop and makes it sweeter, riper, and juicier.”

The benefits of renewal pruning go beyond structure; they ripple through the tree’s entire system. The renewed circulation of light and sap creates balance, vigor, and a healthier environment for fruit development. What looks like a loss is really the beginning of new life.

And despite how dramatic the process may appear, the trees handle it with remarkable grace. “Trial and error has shown us,” Farmer Al notes, “that we can remove large branches and the tree will do just fine. It will simply allow a new branch to take the place of the old one.”

Renewal as a Philosophy

At Frog Hollow Farm, we often talk about renewal as a guiding principle of how we care for the land. Renewal pruning reflects the same philosophy that shapes our regenerative practices: health before yield, longevity before short-term gain, and respect for the natural rhythms of life.

As we walk through the apricot orchard today, we can see the transformation already beginning. Where heavy branches once shaded the ground, sunlight now pours through, illuminating the young branches. The trees look lighter, more open, and full of promise. 

In the months ahead, these apricot trees will continue to rebuild themselves by channeling energy into new growth and preparing for the next season. We can’t wait to see how this process of renewed growth plays out in our orchard!