Is it possible to prune apple trees in winter and how to do it?

Apple

Pruning apple trees in winter is painstaking work, involving several important considerations: whether pruning is possible in freezing temperatures and at what temperature to prune trees. Following simple tips will ensure your apple trees grow well and produce a bountiful harvest of beautiful fruit. It's important to perform the pruning correctly and use the right tools: sharp and disinfected. If you're concerned about damaging the tree, it's best to entrust the pruning to professionals. There are specialized services that specialize in this.

Why do people prune apple trees in winter?

Apple trees can remain healthy and productive for 50 years or more, but they require good care and proper pruning. Neglected apple trees lose vigor and stop producing fruit. There are several main goals of pruning:

height control to ensure that most fruit does not grow out of reach;
development of good apple tree structure, fruit production, and overall health;
rejuvenation;
getting rid of damaged or diseased branches.

Advantages and disadvantages

Experts recommend pruning apple trees in winter for several advantages. Frosts alter sap flow. And because trees manage water well in winter, new cuts won't bleed excessively. Thinning the crown helps the tree stay healthy. Lower temperatures make some diseases and insects less active. Fresh cuts are more likely to attract diseases and insects, but not in cold weather. In winter, pruning causes minimal stress because the apple tree is dormant, which is not the case with pruning outside of dormancy.

Another advantage is inspecting the tree without leaves. This allows gardeners to easily identify dead or diseased areas and remove them. When winter pruning apple trees, it's easy to identify potentially competing parts or branches that could pose a safety hazard.

Winter pruning is easier because fruit-bearing trees have no leaves, which don't interfere with the process. However, various diseases are more likely to attack the tree because pruning wounds take longer to heal when the tree is dormant. Regular garden pitch isn't suitable for treating pruning wounds, as it becomes too hard in the cold. Besides, working in cold weather isn't much fun.

Pruning an apple tree

This is done between November and March (depending on the region), when the tree is dormant and dry weather is ideal. Choose a time when frosts have already subsided but sap flow in the trunk has not yet begun, around -8°C. At lower temperatures, the bark becomes brittle and can easily be damaged with tools.

The first rule is to remove any dead, damaged, or diseased branches. First, look for the branch's "collar" or "ring" (the characteristic swelling at the base where the branch connects to the trunk). This part of the tree contains all the nutrients needed for wound healing. During this procedure, do not cut off the collar. Instead, make a cut just above the point where it widens. Do not leave stumps during winter pruning.

During the first few years after planting, the apple tree is allowed to grow its roots and become established before the process of removing unnecessary branches is carried out. They do heavy pruning In the third year of growth, remove all competing young lateral shoots if they overlap or if they grow too densely, that is, closer than 10-15 cm. Find branches growing toward the trunk and remove them to improve air circulation.

The next step involves thinning out excess branches and leaving the most vigorous ones. Side shoots are pruned back by about 1/3, cutting just above a bud. At least half of the previous year's growth is left unpruned to ensure a proper balance between existing and new growth. Vertical branches don't produce as much fruit as horizontal ones, so if the tree appears too tall, it can be safely pruned without fear of losing the harvest.

Advice!

If an apple tree hasn't been pruned for many years, don't do heavy pruning all at once. Instead, spread it out over several seasons.

Tools, beginner mistakes, and aftercare

All instruments must be prepared, sharpened well, and disinfected before each use. The following are considered suitable:

Pruning shears (hand). Used for removing small branches.
Loppers. A good pair of loppers cuts through small and medium-sized branches and provides a slightly wider reach. Long handles allow you to lift branches higher and provide greater cutting leverage for thick branches over 0.5 cm in diameter.
Folding saw. This tool is useful for trimming branches larger than 1 cm in diameter.

Read also

How to prune a columnar apple tree in the fall: features, timing, and diagrams
Every gardener's dream is a garden that quickly begins bearing fruit. Columnar apple trees make this dream a reality. Creating a garden doesn't require much space. Even on a small plot, you can…

A poorly executed thinning procedure will seriously damage the tree. One of the most common mistakes is choosing the wrong date. If severe frosts occur after the procedure, the branch will die. Branches are often pruned to create a crown that looks like a work of art. But it's more important to prune the apple tree correctly in the right areas to ensure productive health, not aesthetic appeal.

Cuts are essentially the same kind of wounds for a tree as cuts on a human body: on the one hand, they threaten "blood loss" (sap flow), on the other, they increase the risk of infection, especially if liquid comes into contact with the cut. Furthermore, moisture evaporates rapidly from the wound, which also negatively impacts the overall health of the tree. Therefore, post-pruning apple tree care includes mandatory treatment. Cuts on thin branches up to 1.5-2.5 cm are left untreated, but only if the tree is completely healthy. Before applying a healing compound or simply blocking the air supply, the cut is cleaned to completely smooth the surface, removing burrs and wood dust. This procedure is performed with a pruning knife, removing a small area of healthy tissue. Then, immediately treat the wound surface with a soft, clean brush, applying copper or iron sulfate (3-5% concentration), potassium permanganate (saturated pink solution), Bordeaux mixture, or brilliant green solution. Allow the solution to dry completely. Depending on the weather, this can take anywhere from 40 minutes to several days.

Note!

All areas are treated – both thick and thin.

Apple tree pruning is an important part of its care, so it's recommended to consult a professional if you haven't had experience with it. There are many factors to consider when pruning trees in winter. The decisions you make will impact the overall health of the apple tree, its structural integrity, and its future growth.