How to Prune Macadamia After Harvest

Prune macadamia after harvest, take dead and inward wood first, and keep a canopy you can pick.

Prune after harvest to keep a tree you can pick

Factor	Recommended	Avoid
When	After the nuts are off, before the next strong flush	Do not wait until the tree is 40 feet and then take half the canopy
Order	Dead and sick wood first, then inward and crossing wood, then height	Do not start with a topping cut that leaves a thicket of sprouts
Height	Keep a home tree at a height you can pick from the ground or a short ladder	Do not let it go to a 50-foot shade tree if you still want the crop
Young tree	Keep one strong leader and a few wide-angled laterals	Do not leave several competing trunks to split later

macadamia does not need pruning to flower and bear. You prune to keep the work in reach and to take out wood that rubs or dies. [1] The easy window is after harvest, at the end of winter before the next flush. [2] On a young tree, keep one strong leader and rub off extra uprights so the frame stays a single trunk with wide laterals. [3] Left alone, the tree can run to 30 to 50 feet, which is a shade tree, not a backyard nut you can pick. [4]

When do I prune a macadamia tree?

Prune after the nuts are off, before the next strong flush. You can cut at other times, but that window is the cleanest.

Does a macadamia need pruning to bear?

No. Unpruned trees still flower. You prune to keep a size you can pick and to take dead or inward wood.

How to prune a macadamia tree

Wait until the last ripe nuts are off the ground or the tree.
Cut dead, broken, and diseased wood back to sound wood.
Take inward and crossing branches next, so light and bees can reach the inside.
Shorten the tallest tops until you can pick without climbing into a 30-foot canopy.
On a young tree, keep one leader and a few wide-angled laterals; rub off extra uprights that compete with the trunk.
Make a clean cut. Stop once the tree is open enough to walk around. A hard cut every year is not required.

Pick the crop on Harvesting Macadamia; that walk is not a substitute for this size work.

Finish the size cuts after the nuts are off, then leave the tree alone so the new wood can harden.

FAQ

Can I cut a huge macadamia hard?

Yes, but you will lose a crop or two while it resprouts. It is kinder to take a little height every year after harvest than to wait until you need a saw on a 40-foot trunk.

Recommended plants

References

[1] Australian Macadamias - https://www.australian-macadamias.org/caring-for-your-backyard-macadamia-tree-your-questions-answered/
[2] Gardening Know How - https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/nut-trees/macadamia/how-to-grow-macadamia-trees.htm
[3] UF/IFAS Extension Volusia County - https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/volusiaco/2018/03/22/macadamia-production-as-an-alternative-crop/
[4] NC State Extension - https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/macadamia-integrifolia/

This note is part of Macadamia Guides.

More pruning timing notes by plant live in Pruning Guides.

Updated: September 2026 Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors