Almond: A Second life through Rejuvenation Pruning

This is the final operation required to complete canopy training according to the Zaragoza System. We are in an almond orchard that is more than fifty years old, where rejuvenation pruning was carried out two years ago (2023). The footage was recorded in 2025. Young, vigorous shoots have developed from the old trunks and main scaffold branches and have been progressively trained to rebuild the trees' productive canopy.

Growth regulating operation

The results clearly demonstrate that an ageing almond orchard can be given a second life, provided that the woody framework remains structurally sound and the root system is still healthy and functional. Rejuvenation pruning cannot restore trees that have been severely damaged by wood decay or trunk diseases, but it can successfully revitalize trees that are still vigorous and well adapted to their growing environment.

  After rejuvenation pruning

Following major pruning cuts, almond trees respond by producing numerous vigorous, upright shoots. Initially, this new growth serves to restore the leaf area, but it must subsequently be managed with care. In general, the more severe the rejuvenation pruning, the stronger the vegetative response.

The Zaragoza System after drastic rejuvenation pruning

During the peak of summer, we perform an extremely light tipping operation, removing only the uppermost few centimeters of the most upright shoots that tend to emerge above and dominate the canopy. This intervention is almost imperceptible, resembling a gentle touch, yet it serves a precise regulatory purpose: to slow the extension growth of the dominant shoots and restore a better balance in favour of lateral branching.

Video

This should not be regarded as true summer pruning, nor should the canopy be excessively thinned. Heavy pruning at this stage would reduce the photosynthetically active leaf area, expose the older scaffold branches to sunburn, and potentially stimulate another flush of vigorous shoot growth. The most important structural pruning will instead be carried out at the beginning of the dormant season (October–November). At this stage, the priority is to preserve an efficient leaf canopy while promoting uniform light distribution throughout the tree.

Between summer and autumn, the buds destined to produce the following year's crop undergo the transition from the vegetative to the reproductive phase. The process begins with floral induction, during which the physiological fate of the bud changes, and is followed by floral differentiation, when the various floral organs gradually develop. National and international research has consistently shown that both the timing and intensity of these processes vary according to cultivar, climatic conditions, crop load, light exposure, water availability, and the nutritional status of the tree.

Video

Tipping does not directly induce flower bud formation. Rather, it reduces the competitive effect exerted by dominant shoots and contributes to maintaining a balanced relationship between vegetative growth and fruit production. Irrigation may also be moderately reduced to help limit excessive vegetative vigour, while avoiding severe or prolonged water stress, which could impair photosynthesis, accelerate leaf loss, reduce flower bud quality, and negatively affect future yields. The objective is to slow the tree's growth, not to subject it to stress. This is where sound agronomic practice differs from improvised management.

New productive wood is now developing on the old scaffold branches. Young replacement trees have been planted in the vacant spaces, and further orchard densification is being considered. We are not simply pruning an old almond orchard. We are using established root systems to build a new canopy and restore productivity and longevity to trees that once appeared to have reached the end of their productive life.

 

Editorial Note

Original content by Dr. Vito Vitelli, Agronomist, prepared and enhanced with the support of artificial intelligence tools for educational, informational, and technical dissemination purposes.

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