Pruning and cuttings removal in Mallorca

We prune fruit trees, olive trees, almonds, carobs, citrus trees, ornamental trees and hedges up to 2 m high, all over Mallorca. Each tree is pruned at the time of year that suits it, and we take all the cuttings away whole. Nothing is left in your garden, and you do not need to burn anything or take it to the recycling point.

What we prune

• Fruit trees: peach, apricot, plum, cherry, pear, apple, fig, pomegranate and others.
• Olive trees.
• Almond trees.
• Carob trees.
• Citrus trees: oranges, mandarins and lemons.
• Ornamental trees.
• Hedges up to 2 m high.

For ornamental trees and hedges we agree the best timing at the visit.

When each tree is pruned

The timing below follows the two pruning manuals “De la poda” by Joan Rallo García, published by the Conselleria d’Agricultura i Pesca of the Govern de les Illes Balears.

• Most fruit trees are pruned during the winter rest, from leaf fall until the buds swell, usually between November and March. The best moment is after the coldest days and before growth starts, which is usually February. Pruning of trees that lose their leaves is best finished by the end of February.
• Stone fruit (apricot, cherry, plum, peach and almond) is best started soon after the leaves fall. The cuts then heal before the sap moves strongly again, and there is less risk of gum.
• Evergreen trees are pruned once the risk of frost is over, because cuts heal slowly in the cold. This work can go on until May.
• Olive trees are usually pruned once the harvest is over; tradition sets the start at Candlemas, on 2 February. Most olive trees are pruned every two years, sometimes every three or four. Pruning too hard lets in too much light and removes the shoots that would carry next year’s olives.
• Carob trees are best pruned straight after the harvest, in autumn, while the new carobs are still small. A carob flowers for more than four months, so every pruning removes part of the next crop. In autumn the cuts also heal well, because there is neither strong sun nor cold.
• Citrus trees are usually pruned in spring, so the tree loses as little of its reserves as possible. A well-shaped citrus tree does not always need pruning every year: in a trial by the Conselleria d’Agricultura with orange trees, leaving well-shaped trees unpruned until dry twigs appeared inside them gave very good results.
• Fig trees: strong shoots growing from the base are best cut at the start of autumn, to avoid losing a lot of sap after the winter pruning. Fig trees that give two crops and those that give one crop are pruned differently.

We do not prune on very windy, very wet or frosty days. Summer pruning of green shoots is kept small, done towards the end of the summer and only on strong, healthy trees.

What pruning is for

Good pruning gives a tree a shape that suits it, keeps a balance between growth and fruit, and lets light into the crown. The manuals stress two points. First, pruning is only one part of looking after a tree: light, water and feeding matter more. Second, every tree has to be read on its own. That is why we look at each tree before we cut, and why we cut with moderation. Young trees get very little winter pruning, because hard cuts make them push out unwanted shoots.

Four kinds of pruning

The manuals describe four kinds of pruning, and a tree needs different ones at different ages:

• Formation pruning, in the first years, gives the tree a strong, well-lit, airy and balanced structure that it keeps for the rest of its life.
• Fruiting pruning keeps a balance between growth and fruit, so the tree gives a good crop that is spread evenly over the years.
• Conservation pruning is for older trees that make few strong shoots: cleaning and shortening cuts wake up dormant buds and keep young wood coming.
• Rejuvenation pruning is for old or neglected trees: a stronger pruning, spread over the whole tree and combined with feeding, brings the tree back into growth.

The cuttings: taken away whole

When the pruning is done, we load all the cuttings and take them away whole. We do not leave piles behind, and you do not need a skip or a trip to the recycling point.

Burning them is not a good option either. As a general rule, Spain’s waste law (Ley 7/2022, article 27.3) does not allow burning plant waste from farms and forestry. The exceptions are small farms, and burns that the regional authority allows for plant-health reasons or to prevent fires. Plant waste that is not burned under an exception has to be managed as waste, with priority for composting.

Take-away only

If you have already pruned, we can take the pile away. The price is per cubic metre (m³) of cuttings:

• a car boot holds about 0.5 m³,
• a small trailer holds about 1 to 2 m³.

Take-away costs €35–55 per m³.

Prices

The prices include taking the cuttings away, and IVA (21 %). Travel depends on your town (areas we serve). Count your trees by height in the budget calculator to see an estimate, then send it to us on WhatsApp. If you also want regular help in the garden, have a look at our garden care plans.