Apple trees need to be pruned throughout their lives. The most important period for pruning and training fruit trees is the first 4 to 5 years after planting. Proper pruning and training of young apple trees should produce strong, well-structured trees that yield a large crop of high-quality fruit.
For home gardeners, the easiest training system for apple trees is the central leader system. The central leader system produces a vertical central leader or main stem with tiers of strong, properly spaced limbs or scaffold branches. These scaffold branches grow about 30 to 45 above horizontal. This system of training results in a “Christmas tree” shape or pyramidal-shaped tree.
The best time to prune apple and other fruit trees is late winter or early spring. In Iowa, this is March and early April.
Apple trees are a common sight in many backyards and gardens. While they start out small, with proper care and pruning they can live and produce fruit for decades. However, left unpruned and neglected, an apple tree can become a tangled mess of crossing branches and congested growth.
Restoring an overgrown mature apple tree to good health and productivity is very possible if done correctly over a period of a few years. Here is a step-by-step guide to pruning and restoring an old, neglected apple tree to its former glory.
Assessing the Tree
The first step is to thoroughly assess the current state of the tree. Look for:
- Overly long, vertical branches reaching for sunlight
- Congested interior and crossing branches rubbing against each other
- Excessive inward-facing growth and crowded branch structure
- Evidence of pests, disease, or dead wood
- Amount of existing fruiting wood
This will help determine the goals and extent of the initial pruning The age and variety of the tree will also impact the restoration approach
Setting Goals
When tackling an overgrown apple tree, set realistic goals considering the tree’s age, health, and intended purpose. Some common goals include:
- Improving tree health by increasing air circulation and light penetration
- Removing diseased, pest damaged, or dead wood
- Thinning congested areas and crossing branches
- Opening up the canopy to stimulate fruiting wood
- Reducing height and spreading out top-heavy branches
- Maintaining aesthetics and some low branches for picking
Timing Pruning Correctly
Only prune apple trees during dormancy, in late winter or very early spring before buds swell. Avoid pruning in late spring through winter, as this can encourage disease.
Spread out major restoration pruning over 2-3 years, removing no more than 30% of living wood in one season to limit stress on the tree.
Methods and Tools
A neglected apple tree requires rejuvenation pruning, which involves:
- Thinning cuts to remove entire branches at their point of origin
- Heading cuts to shorten overextended branches back to an outward facing bud
- Targeted removal of diseased or congested wood
Use loppers, pole saws, or hand saws for branches over 1/2 inch diameter. Disinfect tools between cuts to prevent disease spread.
Pruning Overgrown Apple Trees
Here are the general steps for restoring an overgrown apple tree:
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Remove all dead, diseased, broken, and rubbing branches: This prevents further decay and opens space in the canopy. Make clean thinning cuts back to the branch collar.
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Shorten or remove excessively long, vertical branches: Use heading cuts to shorten vertically growing branches back to an outward facing bud. Remove broken or hanging branches.
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Thin dense interior growth: Selectively remove crossing, shaded branches deep inside the canopy using thinning cuts to improve light penetration and air flow.
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Clear congested branch structures: Identify areas with narrow branch crotch angles and remove selected branches to open these areas up.
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Reduce branch length: Where major branches are very long with limited side shoots, heading cuts can reduce their length by 1/3 to 1/2. Leave some lengths unshortened.
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Remove suckers and water sprouts: Prune these vigorously growing shoots off the trunk and major branches. Leave lower sprouts that could become new scaffolds.
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Tip prune remaining branches: Head back the remaining outer branch tips by 2-4 buds to encourage new fruiting wood.
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Clean up the center: Remove crisscrossing central branches and shorten excess height to create an open center.
Aftercare
- Disinfect pruning tools after each use to prevent disease spread.
- Apply tree sealant to any cuts over 1 inch in diameter.
- Water the tree thoroughly after major pruning.
- Spread removed branches and leaves beneath the tree to decompose.
- Monitor for regrowth and signs of stress. Limit pruning the season after major restoration work.
Before and After Comparison
Here is an example of a neglected apple tree before major restoration pruning:
Note the extremely congested center, vertical waterspouts, and excessive height.
Here is the same tree after corrective pruning:
The open canopy allows more light penetration and air circulation. Height and inward growth have been reduced.
Long Term Care
- Continue lighter maintenance pruning annually to keep fruiting wood renewed.
- Water during drought and fertilize lightly to aid recovery.
- Monitor for disease and pests like borer insects.
- Remove new vertical shoots and inward growth as needed.
- Replenish mulch around the tree.
With several years of proper pruning and care, an neglected, overgrown apple tree can be restored to provide bountiful, easy to reach fruit again. Patience and vigilance are key when bringing an old tree back to its former glory. Follow these guidelines for successfully pruning and restoring your apple tree.
Start Pruning at Planting
Prune newly planted trees immediately after planting. Whips or branchless apple trees should be cut to a height of 30 inches. Make the cut just above a bud. A central leader and several lateral (side) shoots will develop on the upper 8 to 10 inches of the trunk by summer. The following spring (March or early April), retain the central leader and select 3 to 4 well-distributed lateral shoots with wide crotch angles. These lateral shoots will be developed into scaffold branches. Prune off all remaining shoots. Cut back the lateral shoots by 1/4 and the central leader up to 1/2.
When planting a well-branched tree, select and retain 3 to 4 lateral shoots plus the central leader. Remove all other shoots back to the main stem. Retained shoots should have good (wide) crotch angles and be well distributed both around and vertically on the trunk. The lowest shoot should be approximately 2 feet from the soil surface. Cut back the selected shoots and central leader by half their length. Make the cuts just above the buds. If trees have only 1 or 2 desirable lateral shoots, remove the lateral shoots and treat the trees as whips.
Pruning the Second Year
The following spring, there are usually 2 or 3 new shoots at the ends of each scaffold branch. Retain the best positioned of these shoots and remove the others. Remove 25% of the new growth on the retained shoot. The amount of growth made by the central leader determines where to make the cut on the main stem. The second tier of scaffold branches should be about 24 to 30 inches above the top branch of the lower tier. If the distance from the top branch of the lower tier to the top of the central leader is greater than 30 inches, cut off the central leader 30 inches above the top branch of the lower tier. Shorter central leaders (those less than 30 inches in length) should be cut approximately in half. However, make sure the central leader remains the tallest shoot. Slow growing trees will require an additional year of growth before pruning and forming the second tier of scaffolds.
How To PRUNE Your Apple Trees for a Bountiful Harvest Next Year #apples #appletree #appletrees
FAQ
What should pruned apple trees look like?
Prune apple trees to a “Central Leader” shape.
This type of structure has a pyramidal shape with a single upright leader limb as its highest point. This central leader is the newest extension of a long, upright growing trunk from which all lateral branches arise.
What is the 123 rule of pruning?
3) The 3 in 1-2-3 refers to 3-year-old wood that was cropped when 2 years old and sometimes 1 year old. Renew the 3-year-old wood by cutting it back hard (Figure 3). This way you will generate new laterals, and the cycle starts again (Figure 4).
What not to do when pruning apple trees?
What’s the best month to prune apple trees?
The best time to prune apple trees is between November and late February before the tree starts to put on leaves.