A beautiful day to be outside pruning apple trees. The trees have been producing fewer and fewer apples the last several years and I have learned that a hard prune may bring back the production. Well I did what I think is a hard prune and the wife and neighbors probably think I killed the tree. It has been said that you should be able to throw a cat through the tree without hitting any branches. Well I could throw several cats through the tree. It is also said not to expect many apples the first year after a hard prune. The next three photos are before and after the prune. We will see what happens next. ( photo / image / picture from jbest123's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from jbest123's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from jbest123's Garden )
Droopy, Take the plunge and start cutting. Get a fruit book with some pictures to see the difference between flower buds and leaf buds if you are unsure. You don't want to cut off all the flower buds, but it won't hurt them to cut off some of them. Make sure you use bypass pruners (not anvil) when cutting with the blade cutting as close to the collar of the sucker as you can. don't leave any "stumpy" branches. make them flush, otherwise they will produce a bunch of new growth at that point. Cut back as much as or even more and you aren't going to hurt the tree. trust me. just do it. I haven't killed an apple tree yet over pruning it. I am not sure if that is possible, really. The only ones I have killed was intentional. PS... IF you are a lefty, get left handed pruners, too. Don't try to make right handed ones work for the job. It is too much work and doesn't work very well.
I'll wait now until after the frosts have passed before pruning mine back. It looks as though you've done a grand job there John. You must let us see more pictures come spring.
Thanks for the tips Carolyn. I have to wait until February or March before pruning, and will have to do it when my husband's not home or he'll probably pull me off the ladder.
