Apple Tree Pruning
(continued - page 5)

How To Prune Apple Trees
This article deals with pruning of bush trees (all rootstocks are pruned in the same manner) and cordons. First, fruit is produced from shoots which are in their second (or later) year. One of the aims of pruning is to produce a balance (roughly half and half) between side shoots produced this year and side shoots produced last year.

This will provide a crop of apples in the current year and sufficient shoots for next year's crop.

Second, when you prune during winter (while the tree is dormant), this will invigorate the tree, causing it to grow more during the following season. If you prune during summer this will cause the tree to grow less during that growing season. Spring pruning has an effect somewhere between winter and summer pruning.

How To Prune Bush Trees
The first pruning should occur immediately after planting (normally November or December) - make sure you know if you have a one or two year old tree. The examples below show pruning starting at a one year old tree.

	PRUNE A ONE YEAR OLD TREE A one year old tree should be pruned immediately after planting - cut off the top half of the trunk with a sharp pair of secateurs. Before cutting, make sure that the bottom half contains at least four buds or formed branches. If not, make the cut higher, above the fourth bud. Click here to see pictures of a real one year old (maiden) apple tree before and after pruning.
	PRUNE A TWO YEAR OLD TREE Prune from December to February. The pink coloured parts of the tree show growth in the previous year, this should not be pruned. The black coloured side shoots should all be pruned by a third - see the thick black lines. Click here for a picture of an un-pruned and pruned 2 year old tree. When pruning, cut just above an outward facing bud - this bud will then produce a side shoot in the spring which will grow away from the centre of the tree.
	PRUNE A THREE YEAR OLD TREE Prune from December to February. Pruning is similar to the two-year old tree - the pink coloured parts of the tree show growth in the previous year, this should not be pruned. The black coloured side shoots should all be pruned by a third. Always prune to just above an outward facing bud.
	PRUNE A FOUR YEAR OLD TREE Prune from December to February. Pruning is the similar to the three-year old tree - the pink coloured parts of the tree show growth in the previous year, this should not be pruned unless it is diseased. The black coloured side shoots should all be pruned by a third. Always prune to just above an outward facing bud.

A five year old tree can be considered mature and the basic shape will have been established. Pruning should consist of keeping the centre of the tree relatively clear of growth, removing all weak or diseased growth and keeping the tree within the space available. Remember that apples will grow on wood produced the previous year, so always leave a good proportion (say 50%) of the previous year's growth.

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(prune a cordon)

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Apple Tree Pruning (continued - page 5)

Apple Tree Pruning
(continued - page 5)