Why prune apple trees

Fire blight infections are more likely to be severe following heavy pruning. You should prune out shoots blighted by fire blight infection as soon as possible.

However, new cankers form around pruning cuts so removing the infected branch or limb to the next healthy limb junction can cause the pathogen to move into large healthy limbs or the main trunk. Prune infected limbs well below the visible blight symptoms leaving at least a 4- to 5-inch naked stub below the pruning cut. The prunings can be used as scion material to propagate new trees. Prunings taken in the summer can be bud grafted to root-stock, and material pruned off when your tree is dormant can be used in bench grafting.

Pruning can also increase the vigour of stagnated trees, encouraging strong vegetative growth in trees which would otherwise not produce enough new growth to graft from. The material cut off in pruning can in these ways help to perpetuate old, local and rare varieties. Discover some of the many reasons you might prune a fruit tree.

Preserving and restoring old trees through pruning Old trees are fantastic for wildlife, and have significant cultural value so should be maintained in your orchard where possible. Shaping young trees with pruning Young trees need to be shaped through formative pruning to develop the strong framework that they need to bear the weight of fruit crops.

Removing damaged and badly positioned branches Badly positioned, touching or crossing branches can be damaged in the wind as they rub against each other.

Pruning to increase the light and air penetration Airflow through the tree helps to remove moisture reducing the chance of fungal infections and other air-borne diseases. Pest and disease control through pruning Wood heavily infected with scab, mildew, canker or silver leaf can be removed to reduce the likelihood of infecting other trees. Pruning to balance growth and fruit production Fruit grows best on wood that is years old, but old un-pruned trees tend to produce large crops at the expense of new growth.

This is particularly true with young trees, which are more easily damaged by late cold snaps. To minimize the potential for winter injury, summer pruning should not be done after mid-August. On older trees where renovation is necessary, the major branch removal should be staggered over the course of two years. First, it allows the remaining fruit to grow to optimum size and quality. Second, it increases the ability of the tree to form flower buds and fruit the following year.

Third, allowing more fruit to develop than branches can support can lead to deformation or break-age of the branches, especially in younger fruit trees with still-flexible branches. Note that cherries do not need to be thinned.

Cut rather than pull the fruit off, as you do not want to damage the fruit-producing spur. Cart 0. Pruning Young Fruit Trees Click here for printable PDF To produce quality fruit, fruit trees such as apples, pears, cherries and plums need regular pruning in their first few years to develop healthy growth and well-spaced branches, and continuous minor pruning there-after.

View fullsize. What to Prune When pruning Fruit trees, the following types of growth should be removed: A. When to prune Trees pruned heavily in winter respond in spring with many vigorous shoots called water sprouts, identifiable by their distinctly straight-up growth.

Fruit thinning. Generally speaking, fruit should be spaced about 6 inches apart along the branches; thin out closely grown apples and select out the smaller-sized ones in favor of the larger fruits. Frequently asked questions Contact us Delivery and collection Advice Resources. My Account. Welcome to Future Forests! Login Create Account. Shopping Cart. The Ideal Time to Prune Apple Trees Apple trees should be pruned in late winter, but you can prune into the spring and summer if you must.

Pruning Tools It's important to have the right tools for the job. Keep the following tools handy for when you prune: Hand pruners or secateurs. Use these to remove small branches and twigs. You'll probably use this tool the most, so keep them sharp and handy. Loppers have long handles and provide more leverage when pruning larger branches. They're typically used to prune branches up to an inch or so in diameter.