News / Life / Clark County Life

Gardening with Allen Wilson: Here’s how to prune apple, other fruit trees

By Allen Wilson for The Columbian

Published: February 19, 2019, 6:07am

Pruning an apple tree annually helps maintain the best health and fruit production. (iStock)

I have three apple trees that I planted three years ago. I don’t know how to prune them. Could you give me some guidance on apple tree pruning? When is a good time to prune?

Established fruit trees require yearly pruning for best health and maximum fruit production. Regular pruning will also help keep most of the fruit-bearing branches within easy reach for harvesting. You can prune anytime from now until new leaves begin growth.

First, any remaining stakes or supports should be removed. It is important to remove any ties to stakes because they can become imbedded in the bark as trees grow.

If more than one main trunk or leader has developed, leave the most upright one and remove the others. Any branches with a crotch angle of less than a 30 degrees with the trunk should be removed.

The main pruning job on established fruit trees is to thin out some of the extra small branches so that more light can reach those which remain. This also reduces the number of fruits somewhat, resulting in larger fruit with better color.

All branches which grow straight up should be removed. All of the branches which grow toward the center of the tree should be removed. Normally, about a third of the smallest remaining branches are removed back to their origin. This allows light into the inner parts of the tree. Whenever two branches grow into each other or cross, one should be removed.

The outward or horizontal branches should be favored over the more upright branches because they will bear fruit sooner and more abundantly. Branches which bend downward are usually removed or shortened.

The center of the tree should have few small branches except spurs. Spurs are the short, twiggy branches where flowers and fruit are produced. Spurs should never be removed unless they are on a branch which is being removed.

A number of new, vigorous vertical branches (called suckers or water sprouts) will grow from the trunk and main branches after spring pruning. These are best removed by snapping them off in May or early June while they are still flexible and less than 12 inches long. Snapping removes latent buds at the base of the sprouts. If cut off many of these sprouts will regrow a second time.

Extra vigorous side and top branches can also be shortened in May or June. Large branches which grow straight up should also be removed.

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