Apple tree pruning: when and how to do it correctly

Apple trees are among those fruit trees that thrive on abundant natural light and do not tolerate stagnant air within the crown. Pruning helps gardeners successfully achieve these two objectives. Pruning an apple tree is an important process, and every gardener should know when and how to do it correctly. This procedure creates favorable conditions for the tree's rejuvenation, provides the best, optimal conditions for full development, rids the tree of harmful insects, and improves the appearance of the crown.

When and how?

Beginning gardeners often ask when to prune apple trees and how to do it correctly. Any time of year is suitable for this procedure, depending on the gardener's goals and objectives. Spring pruning or trimming, for example, helps remove branches that haven't survived the winter's temperature fluctuations. Summer pruning helps delay flowering until the following season. Apple trees are also pruned in the fall, to prepare for the coming winter, and again in winter. Let's look at the specifics of this procedure in each season.

Spring pruning

When pruning in the spring, gardeners must be aware that sap has begun to circulate in the tree. Careless actions can result in the tree's death. Pruning is performed for a number of reasons:

Crown organization

The procedure begins with identifying and, of course, removing branches damaged by winter frosts. Next comes the actual pruning. Experts believe a bush-like crown shape is best for apple trees. This will give the tree stability, preventing deformation under the weight of ripening and mature fruit, and will also facilitate harvesting.

Recovery

If the winter is harsh, with frequent temperature fluctuations, a large number of dead branches form on the trees by the time spring arrives. Along with old and excess branches, these dead branches weigh down the tree and prevent it from quickly preparing for fruiting.

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When pruning an apple tree in the spring, it is important to decide not only when to do it, but also how to do it correctly on trees in their first three years of life and older.

Young seedlings must undergo basic crown shaping in the spring. Ignoring this rule will make it difficult to achieve the optimal shape and height for fruiting. The crown should not be dense. Pruning is performed annually for four years, and then every two years. The base is formed from five to six branches (the largest ones). The trunk height ranges from 40 to 50 cm. The central branch is always shortened.

For older trees, pruning begins with removing inward-growing shoots. The total weight of the removed parts should not exceed one-third of the branches' volume. They are not removed all at once, but over the course of three years.

Summer pruning

Summer pruning is recommended in regions where late frosts are common. This will help protect the buds from freezing.

When answering the question of when exactly to prune apple trees in summer and how to do it correctly, experts pay attention to the age factor. Taking this into account allows for the correct pruning pattern to be selected.

For example, trees that haven't yet produced fruit are pruned using a minimal pruning scheme. Skeletal branches are planted low to facilitate harvesting after a few years. Any shoots that interfere with future fruiting are removed at an acute angle. However, this should be done sparingly, in small increments. The rate of shoot removal can only be accelerated after two to three years of fruiting. This period is counted from the year of the first pruning. These measures will help produce large, high-quality fruits. Removing dead and diseased branches also serves this purpose.

Regarding older trees, a gardener will know that pruning is necessary if growth volume decreases to less than 30 cm, as well as a decrease in yield. Branches located at a right angle to the trunk are removed.

Autumn pruning

Experienced gardeners know that apple trees are pruned in the fall, when the leaves have fallen, and how to do it without harming the tree.

Autumn lamination is carried out according to one of three schemes:

• weak;
• average;
• strong.

The first method is ideal for young apple trees. Only shoots that have grown over the year are pruned. In the spring, new young branches will take their place, forming the foundation of the future crown with proper care.

Medium pruning is suitable for trees aged five to seven years. It is performed exclusively on mature branches—this will lay the foundation for more fruit-bearing branches. Dead shoots are always removed. Branches are pruned back to the first bud, the pruned area is filed at a right angle, and treated with a special gardening solution that forms a protective film. In damp weather, this procedure is repeated two or three times.

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Pruning in winter

When discussing when to prune apple trees and how to do it correctly, many even experienced gardeners doubt the advisability of pruning in winter. Strictly speaking, the procedure can be performed at any time when there are no obvious signs of active sap flow.

Laminating during severe frosts, when the ambient temperature drops to -15°C, is strictly contraindicated. Such conditions make the bark brittle, making it easily damaged.

For this procedure, it's best to choose the most winter-hardy varieties, such as Aromatnoye, Antonovka, and others. Trees with average winter hardiness can also be pruned, but only if the soil has been treated, fertilized, and the apple tree thoroughly watered in the fall.

If the above conditions have been met, pruning in winter has a number of advantages:

• Removing branches requires less physical effort;
• the risk of such a phenomenon as bark scuffing is reduced to almost zero;
• The absence of foliage makes it easier to choose a pruning pattern.

Experts consider the risk of frostbite at the incision site to be a risk associated with winter procedures.

When pruning in winter, consider the climate zone. Trees growing in the south can be pruned in the last days of the first month of the year. Temperate climates dictate different timing—the third ten days of February or, at the latest, the first few days of March.

Young trees under three years of age that have not yet produced fruit are pruned within the timeframes specified for the temperate zone. Only sanitary pruning is recommended, especially if it was not performed in the fall. Other types of pruning are only carried out during a consistently warm winter. The primary goal should be to remove inward-growing shoots.

A warm, sunny day is ideal for this procedure. The ideal temperature is -8°C. Use pruning shears to remove thin branches. Thicker branches will require a hacksaw.

Winter pruning of apple trees helps combat parasites that hide under the bark during the winter.