There is so much information about there about do's and don't with pruning apple trees. I have three apple trees. A bi-annual crabapple/transparent apple. ( the tag said crabapple, but every old timer that has looked at it has told me it's a transparent). A Norgold. And a small crab. The crab is about 10 years old and finally beginning to hit it's stride and has produced small amounts of fruit the last three years. The transparent and the Norgold are closer to 18 years old and doing well. The Norgold has only born fruit for the last 6 years or so. It seems that every time I have pruned, I have very little fruit the following year. Having said that, I have never pruned every year. More like every third or fourth year. Life was just always too busy. The trees are very established now, and the pruning is necessary to keep the size manageable. I was able to do a really big prune last year while there was about three feet of snow, which helped me reach the branches without a ladder. I had fewer flowers, as expected on the Norgold. But there were still more than I expected which was promising. The tree is bigger and more established now. And it was an off year for the transparent. My question is...right now I have this new growth that is growing straight up and about 5 feet long. My instinct is that I should keep up on the pruning, and keep the new growth trimmed off. Part of a yearly pruning. Rather than waiting every few years and taking off a lot? The crab is still small but starting to pick up steam. My thought is to keep it manageable in size and shape but taking the outside branches back about 20 %. Am I crazy though in suspecting that all new growth from the previous year bears fruit? Or do people keep them pruned and trimmed back every year. It is difficult to take pictures that show definition because I had a fresh dusting of snow. The new growth this year since pruning last year. The Norgold is about 18 feet tall...too tall. The new tall growth is about 5 - 6 ft long....which I think I should cut off yearly?? This is the crabapple that just started fruiting finally two years ago. But it is beginning to grow rapidly and is about 12 feet now. I'd like to bring it down at least a few feet, but also don't want to ruin any fruit possibility. It has been the fruit tree of patience. Any suggestions of experience would be appreciated. I'm going to prune soon before the heavy snow and extreme cold. They are too difficult to access in the early spring most years. Thank you Mel
@Melody Mc. if you can see the spurs where blossoms form, you should leave most of those spurs on the tree. If you cut off the spurs, you may not get blossoms, although some trees also bloom from growth tips. On my established apple trees, I usually cut back new growth to about six inches to a foot long, depending on the variety. Logan, I like your video. I don't make such big wound as he does. He likes to cut branches flush with the trunk. That makes such a big wound. I cut at the outer end of the branch collar. Much smaller wound, doesn't go into the trunk. But apple trees are pretty resilient, so maybe it's OK either way.
Thanks Daniel about the video, he knows what he's doing he's been doing it for a long time. Me myself don't know much about it apart from the fruiting spurs and that some fruit on the ends.
I appreciate the replies thank you @Logan - That is a great video. In the Okanagan Valley of BC down towards the US border they prune apple trees like that - they have a very long growing season. My GrandDad had some orchard trees that were shaped that way. I can still remember his postal code "V0H IH0 " " Valley Of Heaven In The Okanagan". My problem is the short growing season - some normal tried and true practices don't apply. I wish my trees could look like that hahaha. Thank you so much for the video It really helped with how to prune and the cuts. @Daniel W - thank you so much for the yearly pruning advice on the new growth. I think that may be what I'm looking for. I did the big heavy prune last winter, and now want to keep them that way. I was going out to prune today and Hubby convinced me to wait as weather will have better windows between now and Feb ( -15 with a -24 windchill today..well, fine then Hrumph ) I don't think my trees would get a chance to heal from a deep side cut before the next winter. That would be my worry.
@Melody Mc. I think you are right to wait for pruning. I always wait until late Winter or early Spring, and you have a more severe climate. In Minnesota they say Feb or Mar.
