PRUNING

When to prune: Most of your pruning should be done at the end of winter (in March or early April for Zones 3-5,) after bitter weather but before the tree has broken dormancy.  However, summer pruning can be done on branches just getting started; if you see one emerging in an unwanted place on the trunk, rub or trim it off.  Root sprouts, which are straight stems that push up out of the ground near the base of the tree,  and “water spouts,” the short twigs that grow straight up from the top branches of apple trees, can also be summer-pruned without harm to the tree.

Apple Pruning & Training. Apples probably require the most frequent pruning to maintain shape and good fruit production, although heavy pruning will not be required until the tree has been established and growing for several years.  There should be no pruning at all the first year except to cut off broken or dead twigs. You can, however, “train” your one or two-year whip to develop a desirable branching habit. Branches that grow straight out from the trunk at 90 degrees (“L”-shaped) will be the strongest. “V”-shaped crotches are weak and less likely to support the weight of the branch in a storm or under a heavy fruit load. Watch for new little buds that are just beginning to develop along the trunk. While these are still green and flexible, train them to grow out from the trunk at a 90 degree angle by fastening a clothespin above them. The bud will begin to grow upward, hit the clothespin, and instead will grow straight out. (See illustration below.)

Once the apple tree has branched out nicely, select three or four strong, 90 degree branches that you will allow to develop into a scaffold. These will become the fruit-bearing structure of the adult tree. They should not be set too low on the trunk and should ideally point outward in opposite directions. Prune off  branches that do not contribute to this chosen pattern. You can keep your scaffold limbs growing at 90 degrees to the trunk by hanging weights, such as partially water-filled plastic jugs, from them.  This is a process that will continue over several years and, by the time it is complete, the tree should be fruiting. After the scaffold is well established, the tree should be pruned each year to remove undesired growth.

 
 

Checklist for pruning  trees: Remove all dead wood. Prevent crossing branches by removing one of them. Make all pruning cuts clean and neat, cutting at the ridge of tissue which separates branch collar from limb. Avoid flush cuts that leave the trunk “bumpless”; you should be able to see a small bump where you cut off the branch. Do NOT coat pruning cuts with any kind of tree coating. Know when to stop cutting; be judicious, not  drastic. Keep the tree’s natural shape, with branches and trunk balanced. Apple Trees: Prevent crossing branches by removing one of them. To keep a tree small, prune away mostly the upward-growing wood, leaving downward and outward-growing branches or buds.

Remember, pruning is more of an art than a science, and experience is the best teacher!