Like all fruit trees and bushes apple trees need to be pruned when you want them to maintain their shape and encourage heavier fruiting.
If a tree is left to grow naturally without pruning, it will end up with a lot of unproductive branches that are with leaves, but poor in bearing fruit if any. Some might like that sight, but the fruit of such a tree will be smaller and of poorer quality. Un-pruned apple trees use all the nutrition to maintain small branches and leaves. Next to the decline in fruit quality the tree will also be more prone to wind and storm damage.
With these heavy weight disadvantage, pruning your apple tree is really the most viable option. So what is and how do you prune effectively without killing the tree.
Proper pruning is a balance act between the natural tendency of the tree to grow, and your desire for good and tasty apples. The fact that finding that balance will benefit the health of the tree as well as it will satisfy your liking of good tasty apples makes proper pruning an even more exciting challenge.
And don't worry; pruning apple or other fruit trees correctly is not difficult at all, if fact its something that should be done right from planting time.
The Core Idea Behind Proper Pruning
To get a grasp on the process we need to talk a little about the anatomy of the tree.
The leader is the main trunk and the scaffold branches are those three to five branches that are spaced evenly around the leader.
Now for good pruning all others should be pruned off, ensuring that the cut make is vertical and clean with no ragged edges.
Seedlings often develop suckers around the bottom of the trunk. Anything that is less than 30 inches from the ground should be removed.
You may notice a vigorous growth that seems to be competing with the leader. These are sometimes called waterspouts and should also be removed from your apple tree.
Once extraneous growth has been removed from the leader, prune the scaffold branches so that the lowest ones are the longest and the topmost ones are shorter. This will give the tree an overall cone shape that allows sun and light to reach into all the leaves and fruit. It also helps to prevent disease.
Scaffold branches should be spaced at least 6 inches from each other and be growing evenly around the leader - unless your tree is against a fence. In this case you won't be able to have a scaffold branch where it will growth into the fence. They need to be growing at about a 60-degree angle from the leader. Where scaffold branches are less that this, you can gradually train them to grow more horizontally by using a notched stick or a purchased spreader.
Annual Pruning of the Tree
Annual pruning should be done in late winter, just before the tree begins to bud. With apple trees, fruit forms on last year's growth. Scaffold branches will form other growth of course and this can be left unless it becomes too top heavy. Minor branches that grow downward, cross over another branch, or point towards the center of the tree should be removed. Any dead or diseased branches should also be cut off.
If you need to cut off a large branch then painting the cut end that is left with a sealer will help it to heal and keep disease out. Pruning your apple tree is rewarding. It's a great to see you harvest grow year by year and at the same time to keep the tree within manageable dimensions.
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Article Source:EzineArticles.com
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