Content

• Advice
• What you need

• Depending on your conditions, pruning can be done in late spring and early summer.
• Avoid pruning in the fall, as new shoots are stimulated to grow but will die during the cold of winter.

Determine the number of branches to prune. Properly trimmed, healthy apple trees will not cast dense shadows; You need to maintain a considerable distance between the branches.

Choose the right tool. Pruning requires some appropriate tools to avoid damaging the tree. The scissor blades should match the size of the branches to be cut. For small branches, you can use hand pruning scissors. Larger branches about 2.5 in diameter can be cut with scissors. Use a saw (a folding saw is very suitable) to cut branches larger than 7.5 cm in diameter.

Know which plants to prune. Overgrown apple trees were the subject of this work. However, not all trees need pruning. You should limit pruning until the tree is at least 3 years old. If you have a large amount of pruning, do it one at a time over several seasons.

• The seedling or small tree is pruned for the purpose of stimulating the main branches to grow strong and give the tree its original shape.
• Pruning the tree to grow and mature will stimulate the tree to produce more fruit, healthier, and maintain its shape.

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Method 2 of 2: Pruning the tree

1. 

   Determine the right shape. The apple tree should have a gentle conical cone shape, the part near the base grows thicker than the tip.This shape allows sunlight to reach more branches. Before you start pruning, remember that the apple tree should be shaped like a pyramid.

2. 

   
   
   Select the canopy branches on the tree. The apple tree develops with a stem connected to the main branch, followed by canopy branches (the largest branches after the main branch). Looking down from the top of the tree, the apple tree should have only a few branches that do not overlap, the distance between the branches must be even. Depending on the size of the tree, leave only 2-6 main canopy branches. The remaining branches need to be pruned.
   • The angle of the canopy branches is very important. Appropriate canopy branches should be grown at an angle of 45-50 degrees from the trunk. Branches that grow at a smaller angle may break under the weight of the fruit. If grown at a larger angle, the branch will not produce much fruit.
   • Viewed from above, the canopy branches of the tree look like stars or spokes on a wheel.

3. 

   
   
   Eliminate "shoots". Shoots are unnecessary buds that grow near the base of the plant. Eliminate all buds growing from under the main branches to maintain a good shape. Shoots are the only part of the plant that can be pruned near the end of summer and early fall.

4. 

   Cut off dead branches. Eliminate branches that are dead, diseased or damaged due to peeling or discoloration. You can prune these branches any season of the year, and should be trimmed immediately after detection. Remove all the branches if there are no flower buds on the branch. If you have a flower bud at the bottom of a branch, cut it just above the outward-facing bud. Cut the corners diagonally so that rainwater can flow away instead of depositing on the top, causing the plant to rot.

5. 

   Prune downward sprouting branches. Branches that are facing the ground should be removed. These branches cannot produce large and healthy fruit, and take up valuable space and sunlight from other branches that can produce more fruitful fruit.

6. 

   Cut off twisted branches. This is especially common in trees that are fully developed, branches growing in rings with three or more small branches growing from the same place. Since there are too many branches stemming from one point, the branches will be weaker and unable to support the new branches. Identify the largest and strongest clusters of small branches, then prune the remaining branches.

7. 

   Prune the remaining branches. Cut off the remaining branches by 1/3 of the length to stimulate the branches to grow larger and flower the next season. Cut each branch just above the growing bud to give the tree a nice shape. advertisement

Advice

• Do not prune more than 1/3 of the number of branches on a tree in the same year.
• Remove cuttings and compost if possible, or use as mulch.

What you need

• Shears or saws
• Scissors cut the long handle to cut tall branches
• Garden gloves if needed
• Safety glasses if needed