2 springs ago I finally convinced my super busy friend to come teach me how to prune my apple trees. They always overwhelmed me and I just ignored them. They were overgrown when we moved into this house and I didn’t even know where to start. I’ve learned so much since then and have even more things I learned this year as well, so I decided I’d try to write down and recall all I’ve learned in one place (better recall!)
Year 1: the basic rules of pruning.
- Cut out anything that is dead or diseased (duh).
- Cut out everything that grows toward the center. There are a lot of reasons why this is a good idea. First, it keeps the air flowing throughout the tree and therefore keeps pests and diseases at bay. It also allows sunlight to reach more apples. Plus it makes it easier to get into the tree to pick apples and not *have* to climb up so high to reach apples.
- Cut out anything that is taller than you can reach. I didn’t mind climbing into the tree; I thought that was part of apple-picking. But my friend informed me it was a waste of resources for both me and the tree. And honestly not having to climb on top of a truck and into the tree was kind of nice! Plus the tall branches shade the apples too much.
- Cut out branches that cross other branches (more on this in year 3)
- Cut as close to the joint as possible to allow for the tree to create new bark over the cut and seal itself back in. She showed me some branches on my tree that were cut correctly and some that weren’t. The correct ones did have bark sealing them in. The incorrect cuts had dead little sticks poking out that suck up water and can’t seal.
- Don’t cut away more than 1/3 of the branches. Some trees (sigh… Mine) need more than 1 year to get back into shape. I’m pretty sure my friend cut half of the one tree away this year (she got excited about re-taming it, I think) and it looked good but we only got 1 apple and lots of water sprouts to show from it. It gave us amazing apples the next year though!
Year 2: trying to apply my knowledge
- Once you prune the tree it gets all excited and shoots branches straight up. They’re called water sprouts and don’t help the tree at all. Instead they take nutrients that could go to building better apples. I only cut half of mine off because I was too chicken to cut them all off. They didn’t produce any apples and they got tall and unruly. Cut off all water sprouts.
- My friend told me 2 of my trees wouldn’t produce decent apples because they were not from the trunk but the roots. So I didn’t prune them. And I wish I had because the tiny little apples actually tasted pretty good! So don’t give up on a tree too soon.
- Invest in a hand saw, a pair of loppers, and a pair of little nippers (hand pruners?). They all come in handy. Sometimes a chainsaw, too, but you risk cutting at weird angles too quickly or dropping big branches on yourself by going so fast. And the adjustable pair of sheers are bound to un-tighten as you’re trying to trim and warp funny and are just a pain.
- Add a basic rule that anything that can bend and that hangs down will drag on the ground when the tree is full of apples and cut anything under waist high.
Year three: oh, so that’s why…
- Those low branches I didn’t trim last year were also perfect grazing height for deer and voles (eyeroll) and now I have a few branches that are chewed all to bits. Good thing they were already getting trims… It’s just a little higher up than I would have done if they hadn’t been chewed on.
- This year I’m pruning all the extra water sprouts. Except since I left half last year they’re thick and a pain. So that’s why you should just cut anything that grows straight up as you see it, even if you don’t think it’s gonna harm anything to leave it.
- I see some spots where the bark is not healthy on one of my trees. It’s all mostly in the middle. The damage is done and I remember my friend talking about it in year 1 but now I understand why it’s important to clean out the center of the tree.
- I can see how in just 2 years, the bark is enclosing the first year of cuts and it’s amazing to me! I feel like patting the trunk and saying, “oh what a good little tree.” Although I bet the tree is as old as I am…
- Going to cut branches out of an overgrown tree and I have to keep yanking and pulling and unwinding crossed branches. It’s way easier to cut small crossing branches than thick intertwined branches. As you’re pruning, don’t just think about what the tree will look like when you’re done pruning, but what it will look like in a few years. Stop and consider the direction the branch is heading and if it will need pruned in a few years. Then you can save yourself the strain of cutting a thick branch then by cutting one that only takes nippers now.
- Put a cage of fine mesh over baby trees. Chicken wire is not enough (though I didn’t even have that). I now have a stick coming out of the ground instead of my little yearling tree. Pesky deer and voles!
- Have more than 1 apple tree if you can. In more than one variety. I knew this before (the best applesauce comes from a blend of apples) but it stood out more this year because I really don’t want to entirely tame one of my trees. It’s the one that has apples on the ground by fall. I’m definitely trimming some of the branches but I can’t bear to totally cut it into submission. It’s just too magical of a tree. It creates a little tree hideout in the summer where the light twinkles through the branches and the rest of the world hides away behind leaves and apples. My kids and kitties love it. I’m willing to sacrifice a little on the apple quality and quantity in order to keep the magic, because I have other trees to get apples from. I’m pruning the branches that are just too tall (although the birds might wish I hadn’t, as I have to leave the apples up that high as some sort of offering to nature), clearing out the chewed and unhealthy branches, and letting the rest stay kinda chaotic.
- Oh, and add a baseball cap to the list of supplies. My hair was caught waaaaayyyy too many times today.
