Pruning an apple tree: diagrams and timing, tips on when and how to prune correctly

Pruning is an indispensable condition for the full existence of an apple tree plant on your site. It is timely and correct pruning that is the key to successfully growing an apple tree and obtaining annual and stable harvests of this fruit crop. Today we’ll talk about the features of pruning in simple language, so that its principles become clear to novice gardeners: how to prune an apple tree correctly and when, what types, types and methods of pruning there are, how to prune a ring and a bud, how to prune a seedling and an old tree, dwarf trees and columnar apple trees.

Preparing tools

To prune an apple tree, we need a few basic tools:

Hand pruners – 95% of apple tree pruning will be done with hand pruners.
Lopper – For larger branches or limbs on more mature trees, you will need a lopper. Since this tool is used much less frequently than a hand pruner, we do not recommend purchasing a professional tool. For a home garden, a basic lopper will suffice.
Pruning Saw - Although there are specialized pruning saws, cutting is so rare in the home garden that any hand saw will suffice to cut a branch if necessary.

Don't spread disease - clean your tools!

Cleaning your tools won't take much time, but it will help prevent any potential problems. Wash your pruning shears with hot water and soap. This way, you will reduce the risk of disease spreading in your garden.

Who knows which pruner was last used! After cleaning your pruning shears, apply a light oil to the blades for a smooth cut in the garden.

Features of the procedure

The gardener will have to work hard to bring the crown into the desired form for no more than 4-5 years. Once this milestone is overcome, he will only have to periodically trim the young shoots, which is not difficult. But the procedure itself can cause confusion at the initial stage (from the moment of disembarkation). Some trees are tied to a trellis, others are dwarf or semi-dwarf (for example, the President variety). This will have to be taken into account both when planting and during subsequent pruning.

Trellis apple trees

Working with trees on a trellis

To ensure that the strongest shoots grow in two directions, the side branches are attached at an angle of 90 degrees to the trunk. The lower shoots are tied horizontally to the trellis, and the upper shoots are shortened so that the cut is located above the shoots (45-50 cm). On two- and three-year-olds, all lateral shoots, as well as the competitive shoot, are cut off, the upper shoot is pruned in the same way as during the first pruning. The sprouts that form should grow in a slightly elevated position.

All summer, gardeners tie up the upper branches, slightly lifting them. 2 strong sprouts, formed by autumn from the upper trunk of the future apple tree after spring pruning, are tied to the trellis at an angle of 90 degrees. They will become the second row of crown branches.

Be sure to trim off all apical shoots after winter. If this is done correctly, buds will appear on the sides. They will become the third row of the crown. All shoots that rush upward are uprooted at the base.

Note! On a trellis, the upper branches should be no longer than the lower ones. The gardener should not allow the tree to grow; a height of 1.8-2 meters is considered optimal

creeping tree

Pruning dwarf trees

Dwarf apple trees are pruned twice per season - in spring and autumn, but after the formation of the apple tree is completed, approximately 2 years after planting. In this case, the maximum permissible height of the seedling should not exceed 50 cm. Everything above this mark must be cut off.

Pruning a dwarf is no different from caring for a tree of standard sizes, except that the length of the cut branches is not 40, but 20 cm.

Slices

When pruning your apple tree, make sure you cut in the correct position. When removing a branch, always cut it just past the end of the branch collar, as shown in the apple tree pruning photo.

A branch collar is a ring of woody plant tissue at the junction of an apple tree branch and the trunk. Make sure your cut is on the branch you want to remove and not the parent branch.

Cuts are made to reduce the height or length of a branch. When you make these cuts, the next bud on the branch will grow significantly and become a leader in the coming growing season.
We can take advantage of this by cutting in front of the bud that faces in the direction we want the branch to grow. We usually cut just before a bud facing outwards or downwards as this will encourage the tree to grow outwards.

How to properly prune during fruiting period

The task of the owner of an adult apple tree is to maintain a balance between vegetation and fruiting. Using pruning, the crown is thinned out, maintaining good lighting, and filled with new branches.

When the length of annual growth is reduced to 10–15 cm, anti-aging pruning is performed.

The crown is greatly thinned out, all intersecting, thickening and inward-directed branches are removed.

It is better to cut off a couple of large thickening branches than many small ones. Anti-aging pruning awakens the buds and stimulates the growth of new shoots.

The leader is cut at a height of 3-3.5 m. This will lower the crown and add light to it. Branches located in the upper zone are cut off above the lateral branches directed outward.

When to prune apple trees

All of the major pruning work needs to be done while the tree is dormant, which means winter pruning of apple trees is the best way to go. Remember that we don't want to put unnecessary stress on the tree by pruning it early in winter, which could expose it to extreme cold in some regions.

Prune after the coldest part of winter has passed. In northern climates this usually means late February or early March. You don't have to wait long for the buds to begin to swell!

Pruning apple trees after buds have begun to develop will stress the tree and prevent it from growing properly.

Minor summer pruning of an apple tree can only be done to remove water shoots (small branches that decide to grow STRAIGHT UP) or shoots at the base of the tree. Make sure pruning is relatively minimal.

If you remove too much foliage or branches, the tree will not have enough energy to ripen the fruit. Excessive summer pruning will also make them more susceptible to cold later in life.

Main features of pruning in autumn

It is important to take into account the age, condition and varietal characteristics of the apple tree. Cutting and cutting down branches begins after the tree has shed its leaves (if necessary, you can help it do this by removing the leaves manually).

It is advisable to minimize the amount of damage caused to the tree. It is not recommended to cut down thick branches (with a diameter of 10 cm); it is better to postpone such radical actions until spring.

When thinning the crown in the fall, you need to take measures so that the total volume of cut branches does not exceed one third of the total mass

Tree cutting

This is the most difficult stage when pruning apple trees! No one wants to cut branches off their brand new tree, but trust me, you will be rewarded in the long run.

In the new tree we will focus on several areas:

Barrel cleaning. Remove all side branches from a height of 60-70 cm from the ground. You may want to go a little higher depending on your yard, other trees, and the aesthetic you're looking for.
Removal of high perineal angles. Remove any branches from the trunk that extend at a high crotch angle greater than 45 degrees. Over time, the bark of these branches grows into the bark of the trunk, creating a weak “fold.” Although the tree may look great, eventually that branch will be loaded with apples and then crack! The branch breaks and you have lost all those years of growth. Remove any branches with a high crotch angle.
"Set of branches." Leave some space on the trunk, about 50cm between sets of branches. As the tree grows, you clear the trunk between the first and second set of branches. If you don't do this, you'll end up with a tree that is too bushy to be useful - remember, sunlight and air flow are essential to a healthy apple tree!
Other cuts. In addition to the cuts above, you will also need to remove any branches that grow straight up, suckers growing around the base of the tree, and any wood that grows downward.

How to prune depending on the time of year?

Spring

Pruning apple trees in the spring should always be done before the tree wakes up and the buds begin to swell and the juices begin to move actively.
Basically, the crown thinning period occurs in mid-April. Since spring pruning helps eliminate the consequences of wintering a tree and is of a sanitary nature, the gardener needs to remove during pruning:

Completely remove branches that are heavily damaged by fungal infections, mold and other diseases, pests.
Damaged by frost and broken, which will not be able to bear fruit.
Shoots that grow inward and toward the center of the crown also need to be pruned.
Old branches that have lost their fruitfulness.

Also, in the spring it is necessary to carry out regulatory pruning, which affects the quantity and quality of the future harvest. It is recommended to use it if in the previous year the tree did not bear fruit to its full potential and produced small fruits.

The following spring pruning rules must be taken into account:

If you are forming a crown, control the length of each lower branch of the apple tree - it should not exceed the upper ones by 20-30 cm.
The tip (central branch) should be the largest on the tree.
Young shoots are cut above the eye; one edge of the cut should be at the same level with it, and the second should be up to 1.5 cm higher.

Be sure to treat the cuts by coating them with oil paint or garden varnish.

Summer

It is advisable to prune an apple tree in summer for preventive purposes, as well as to improve productivity.

For three months, it is recommended to monitor the condition of the crown, due to which the tree also becomes less susceptible to diseases and pest attacks:

All branches that shade the tree are removed or shortened, since at this time they are very clearly visible.
In the summer, pinching the tops of the shoots is also practiced, which makes it possible to restrain its growth for about 2 weeks and prevent the shoots from taking away nutrition from the main skeleton of the apple tree.
If the branch breaks off and cracks, it is also recommended to file it.
Individual branches affected by disease become noticeable only at this time, so they must be immediately cut off and burned to avoid the spread of infection to other plantings in the garden.

If the tree looks healthy and there is no damage on it, then only periodic adjustments to the crown of the apple tree would be advisable. A special feature of summer pruning is the ability to carry out all work without the use of tools - branches can simply be broken off, which is practiced by some gardeners.

Autumn

Gardeners carry out autumn pruning for the same sanitary purpose. Most of the diseased branches, as well as those shoots that have outlived their usefulness, become visible after the harvest is completed.

At this time, the tree is prepared for the cold, guaranteeing it a good winter.

It is worth considering that there is no universal scheme for pruning an apple tree - the gardener needs to take into account the characteristics of each specific tree:

It is recommended to thin out a heavily thickened crown, leaving healthy and strong branches. “Tops” (shoots that grow vertically upward and do not produce a harvest) must also be removed, as they will only reduce the yield next year, impair ventilation, and thicken the crown. If there is not enough fruit branches on the apple tree, it is not recommended to remove all the “tops” - it is better to leave a small part of them, bending the edge to the bottom using any weight

After a while, this non-fruit-bearing shoot will be able to bear fruit, growing lateral shoots and laying peduncles. Sick, weak, dry, all branches with signs of any damage and growing at the wrong angle are removed. It is necessary to saw off shoots that have produced a poor harvest in the form of deformed and small fruits. The branches that create shadow on the main fruit-bearing part of the tree are pruned. Particular attention should also be paid to the processing of cuts - they must be thoroughly coated with garden varnish; you can also use oil paint.. Pruning shears and a hacksaw are good tools for thinner branches, and a chainsaw can be used for thick and large ones that are difficult to remove

Pruning shears and a hacksaw are good tools for thinner branches, and a chainsaw can be used for thick and large ones that are difficult to remove.

Try to prune in the fall before the onset of frost, since at low temperatures the cuts do not close well, which can cause infection and death of the tree.

Teenage apple tree

We're not talking about a tree that's 13-19 years old, we're talking about the equivalent of an apple tree that's about 3-5 years old. The tree is starting to take shape, you can see what it will look like as an adult.

This “teenage” tree has no branches at the base; its main branches are formed on at least 2-3 whorls. The tree is probably 2-3 m tall. No branches with high crotch angles. You've laid the perfect foundation for a tree that can produce apples for a lifetime! In the coming years you will see this tree simply growing.

Variety is also taken into account

How to prune an apple tree also depends on its variety.

Dwarf apple tree

If you graft a varietal cutting onto a clonal dwarf rootstock, you will get a dwarf apple tree. She retains all the characteristics of the donor, except for height. Gives an excellent harvest and is early ripening. But, despite the ease of care, annual pruning is mandatory, otherwise the fruiting period of an apple tree on a dwarf rootstock ends too quickly. How to do it:

Cut off the central shoot of an annual tree, leaving a height of no more than 70 m.
Choose a crown shape. For a dwarf apple tree, the best options are a triangle, a cap or a ball.
Trim side shoots to give the crown the desired shape.
Shorten skeletal branches.

A special feature of caring for a dwarf apple tree is the rule - do not prune into a ring if the branch is healthy. Even if it is superfluous in the overall crown scheme, it is shortened, but not completely removed. This works for high yields. There are different ways to avoid overloading a tree with fruits. For example, control the number of flower buds.

The same scheme is used for pruning a semi-dwarf apple tree. Sometimes even experienced gardeners cannot distinguish it from a dwarf tree, because this can probably only be done after the tree has grown. Semi-dwarf is smaller than the “original” by a quarter, and dwarf – by half. In fruiting and care they are the same.

Pruning a columnar (pyramidal) apple tree

Columnar - a clone of an apple tree without side branches. It is a trunk along which vertical skeletal branches covered with apples grow. In appearance during fruiting, the tree resembles sea buckthorn. This crown structure by default excludes regular pruning from the plant care plan, since there is practically nothing to remove there. However, sometimes you still have to resort to this procedure with this variety.

The first problem with columnar apple trees is the vulnerability of the tops. It is too sensitive to frost and often becomes a beacon for insect pests. As a result, it dries up and dies. If you do not pay attention to this in a timely manner, the tree will lose its shape. To replace the dead center, several side branches will rise up at once. This will affect not only the appearance of the tree, but also its productivity. What you need to do to prevent this:

Choose a replacement for the central trunk - the strongest and strongest shoot.
Trim the former top into a ring at the point of contact with the new main trunk.
The remaining skeletal branches that claim leadership should be significantly shortened in order to reduce their competitiveness. It is enough to leave 2-3 buds on them.

In order to have fewer such problems with the top, it must be wrapped for the winter and treated with insecticides more often as a preventive measure.

The second problem is the constant competition of the central trunk with vertically growing side shoots. If you do not intervene in time, the tree will lose its decorative appearance and reduce productivity. Therefore, a two-year-old columnar apple tree must be pruned according to the following pattern:

Measure the same distance on all side trunks - 30 cm from the main trunk.
Make a pinch at the measured distance.
If some branches go too sideways from the main trunk, tie them to it (but not very tightly).

In the third year, pruning of the pyramidal apple tree is repeated. And after 4 years of the plant’s life, it will be possible to partially remove the old branches.

Fruit thinning

We usually think about pruning apple trees in the context of the tree. However, fruit thinning is important for tree health and quality fruit production.

It seems strange that there is such a thing as “too many apples!” Pruning apple trees is important, but believe it or not, too much fruit can stunt the tree's growth or even break branches.

Right before summer, when you prune your apple trees, look at how many young fruits you have on your apple tree.
Around June, most apple trees drop some fruit that does not develop naturally.
Thinning the fruit from year to year evens out the fruit yield. Most fruit trees, including peaches and plums, typically produce a high yield one year and a light harvest the next.
This is inconvenient for home gardeners. Pruning apple trees and properly thinning the fruit will take care of irregular fruiting.

Common mistakes

Too many branches are being cut at once.
Any pruning still causes damage to apple trees. There is no need to cut down all problematic branches at once if there are many of them. It’s better to stretch the procedure over several seasons.
Too much sawing of young trees.
On young apple trees, remove very few branches.
Sections are not processed.
To avoid introducing infection inside the tree, treat the cuts.
The procedure is carried out after rain or at sub-zero temperatures.
Cut down the shoots in dry weather so that the cuts are smooth and neat. Pruning must be done before frost.

Pruning mature apple trees

Now that we have the basic shape of our tree established, we go into maintenance mode for the rest of that tree's life. Again, nothing new - we prune apple trees for light and ventilation.

During this stage of the apple tree's life, you will also see other things begin to happen. You may have diseased branches that need to be removed. If there have been particularly many apples in season, you may have a branch that has cracked or broken. And if your tree starts to get old you'll see branches start to die back, especially if they don't get much sunlight penetration.

Review the following list in order to ensure you are making the right decisions and cuts when caring for a mature apple tree.

These tips are also suitable for caring for and pruning columnar apple trees.

Dead wood. Remove all dead wood from the tree. A dead tree is obvious if the bark falls off or the branch turns black. But if you're not sure, you can scrape your fingernail along the bark of the young wood. Healthy wood should have a green cambium layer. If it's all brown, it's unhealthy and should probably be removed!
Sick branches. Remove any branches that show signs of disease, such as fire blight. Remove anything that looks cluttered or out of place.
Damaged wood. Remove any cracked or damaged branches. Position the cut to completely remove damaged wood, but still take advantage of growth lower down the branch.
Branches growing inward. The branches should extend away from the tree. Sometimes a branch decides to clutter the center of the tree. Remove any of these branches.
Overlapping branches. If two branches grow on top of each other so that they almost touch, cut off the larger one.
Straight up. Remove any wood that grows upright. Small shoots that grow from old cuttings or along the main part of a large branch are called "spouts." These unproductive branches don't have buds - they just block the light and need to be removed!
Straight down. Any wood growing below horizontal should be removed from the tree.
Form and balance. Move away from the tree. Think about its overall shape and how you want it to look. Is there a particular branch that is dominant on one side of the tree? Make a cut and cut it back to where it can branch into two branches. If you see a branch overcrowding another branch and causing problems in the future, cut it back to a bud, which will redirect growth in a better direction.

Pruning in the third – fifth year after planting

During this period, a sparsely layered crown is formed. It has two tiers and several strong single frame branches of the 1st order.

In the lower tier, 2-3 branches are left, growing from the buds with a difference in height of no more than 5-10 cm.

In the second tier, 2 branches are left. In varieties with weak growth and poor branching, it is not laid; only the lower tier and 2–4 single skeletal branches are formed.

When properly organized, a tiered sparse crown has the following characteristics:

compactness;
sufficient illumination of all parts;
a large number of overgrowing branches;
ease of care and harvesting.

Pruning by year

When pruning, branches that intersect and point inward to the crown, leading to thickening, are removed.

The central conductor is trimmed:

in the third year - in the area of formation of the second tier - 10-15 cm above the inter-tier gap;
in the 4th and 5th year - leaving an annual growth of 50-60 cm in length.

Skeletal branches of the 1st order in the 3rd-4th year are pruned 10-15 cm below the cut of the leader.

One second-order skeletal branch is left on each of them:

3rd year - at a distance of 30-50 cm from the base;
4th - at a distance of 30-50 cm from the first branch of the 2nd order (an additional branch is oriented in the opposite direction).

Shoots that compete with the central conductor and frame branches are cut off. Powerful growths at the bases of skeletal branches and at their tops are also removed. Small growth increments 40-70 cm long are gradually transformed into long overgrowing or semi-skeletal branches by performing several prunings.

Pruning a low tree

Fruit formations, such as:

spurs;
spear;
ringlets;
fruit twigs;
bouquet and mixed branches.

These parts develop naturally.

In the 5th year after planting in the lower tier on skeletal branches of the 1st order, three shoots of the 2nd order should remain: the distance between the second and third is 30-40 cm. In the second tier, the first branch of the second order is left - 25- 30 cm from the base. Frame shoots of the 2nd order are shortened by 10-15 cm in relation to the tops of the branches of the 1st order. Further actions are similar to previous years.

The formation of the crown is completed in the sixth year by adding another single branch to it, located above the 2nd tier - 40-50 cm from the underlying one.

When forming a columnar crown, the height difference between the central conductor and the side branches is increased to 20-25 cm.

Tradeoffs and Limitations

There will always be compromises in pruning; you can stimulate growth, but you cannot achieve it. Think about the cuts you need to make.

Think about what's left after you cut - you may have to leave a few branches that aren't perfect because otherwise there wouldn't be anything left!

Never remove more than 1/3 of the apple tree. Keeping the root structure (and associated energy stores) in balance above the ground is a critical key to a healthy apple tree.
Pruning apple trees on an annual basis ensures that you generally do not remove more than 5-10% of the tree's growth in any given year.

Apple tree pruning is absolutely essential for a productive backyard garden. By following these recommendations, you will set yourself up for a long, healthy and productive apple harvest.

Types and methods of pruning: which one to choose?

There are usually two pruning options:

shortening, that is, removing part of a branch,
thinning, that is, removing the entire branch.

Shortening usually leads to increased growth activity and increased branching of the apple tree. After pruning using the shortening method, at least 3-4 new, strong shoots usually appear.

Thinning allows you to improve the lighting of the center of the crown, increase the ventilation of the crown, and allows you to get rid of diseased shoots that thicken the crown. After thinning, increased growth activity is usually not observed.

In addition, according to the degree of pruning, pruning can be safely divided into 3 categories:

1. Heavy pruning

Typically, this shortens approximately 1/2 of the annual growth, while the remaining shoots are completely removed. This pruning allows you to form a large number of vertical shoots, which you can work with later - bend them to a horizontal orientation and secure them so that fruits appear on them.

Strong pruning is used only when we are talking about very neglected apple trees that have never been pruned, or the pruning was carried out 10 or more years ago.

2. Moderate pruning

Its essence is to shorten half of the annual growth by about 1/3 of the length and remove the remaining shoots. Such pruning usually does not stimulate the formation of tops or only a minimal amount of them is formed.

Apple trees in the orchard that are regularly pruned are usually pruned either lightly or moderately.

3. Cut short

This involves removing approximately 1/4 of the annual growth. Such shoots are shortened by approximately 25%, and a third is removed from the remaining growth. After a year, the shoots usually grow by an average of 15 cm.

It is clear that the first two of the listed pruning options do not apply to young seedlings. Let’s say that if you planted an annual seedling on a plot, then in the first spring it is enough to simply remove its crown, 5-8 cm long, in order to activate its branching.

There are other trimming options:

Formative pruning begins immediately after planting a standard branched two-year-old seedling, and such pruning usually lasts for 5 seasons after the apple tree is planted on the site. This pruning will allow you to form the so-called crown skeleton.
Pruning aimed at regulating fruiting is regulatory; it allows you to avoid the acute periodicity of apple tree fruiting, when years with a huge harvest are replaced by one or even a couple of seasons when the apple tree does not produce fruit at all.
Sanitary pruning , if necessary, such pruning can be carried out in the fall and even in the summer, it is usually not too strong and such pruning is aimed at removing dry, frozen, diseased and broken shoots.
Restoring - this type of pruning allows you to return a neglected apple tree to its neat crown shape. Typically, such pruning is started in three cases - when the crown is damaged by the wind, when the apple tree is partially damaged by frost, and when the crown is severely neglected due to a complete lack of pruning for a number of years.
Rejuvenating pruning is usually done on old apple trees, in which growth activity is critically reduced, the crown is severely neglected due to lack of pruning, and severe shrinkage of fruits is observed.
Annual early spring pruning often includes several of the options described above, and on individual apple trees it may include all pruning options used to varying degrees.

Photo instructions for pruning an apple tree

Tools and auxiliary materials

Sharp knife. It is preferable for the procedure, as it is the least traumatic for the tree.
Secateurs. Used to remove long shoots. Causes injury in the form of squeezing wood.
Hacksaw or saw. It is used in exceptional cases: for sanitary pruning or for rejuvenating an old tree. Injures tissue.

After removing excess shoots, cuts are formed on the branches, often having a rough surface. Wounds up to 1 cm in diameter heal on their own. Larger sections should be processed:

Garden varnish - a paste made from bee products and natural resin. Contains minerals that promote healing. Prevents rotting at the cut site and nourishes the damaged branch.
White oil paint on natural drying oil prevents sap and the development of rot.

Treated sections should be observed for a month to avoid the development of rotting processes.

How to break out shoots from an apple tree

Not all emerging shoots can be used. Many of them are not suitable either for the formation of main branches or for replenishing the crown with overgrowing branches. If you allow them to grow, they will create thickening, or even, what good, they will seize the initiative and begin to claim the role of the main branches, although this, as a rule, goes against the gardener’s plans.

A lot of such shoots appear after pruning near the cuts, on stumps, and if the pruning was very strong, then in other places of the crown many shoots grow from dormant buds, which, based on the strength of their growth, can be classified as tops. Sooner or later they will have to be cut out almost all. Rarely which can be used.

To prevent wasting nutrients, do this work as early as possible. In the phase of beginning shoot growth. When they reach a length of 7-10 cm, break them off before their base becomes woody. Break out with your heel. The wounds will heal quickly. If after breaking out the tops appear again, repeat the work.

The time spent on breaking out shoots is in any case 5-10 times less than cutting out the branches that have grown from them, and there is no need to talk about saving organic matter. It is very large and very useful. Breaking out shoots is one of the mandatory methods of summer pruning when forming artificial crown forms and normalizing generative (fruit-bearing and flower-bearing) branches.