Tips for pruning apple trees

Apple is a very popular fruit . During the cultivation and management of apple trees, pruning work must be done well to ensure high yield and high quality. Learn about the shaping and pruning techniques for apple trees below.

1. Sapling shaping

The main thing for young trees is shaping, which is done after the leaves fall in autumn and before they sprout next year, by cutting off the skirt branches below 50 cm from the trunk. For branches higher than 50cm, choose the right direction and leave one branch at an interval of 20cm. Keep branches higher than 70cm, and slowly pull them flat and carve buds. Branches to about 50 cm long should be lightly pruned. Branches less than 30cm in length should be pruned very short to facilitate the growth of new buds, and the process should be repeated the following year. The central trunk is usually not shortened, but is ring-cut every 20 cm. Pinch off the tips and twist the shoots as soon as possible in May and June.

2. Pruning during the initial fruiting period

Pruning during this period is mainly to improve and equip the main trunks, branches and fruiting branches. During the pruning process, the branches that grow on the main and side trunks, have suitable growth positions and strong growth should be cultivated into fruiting branches or side branches. In addition, the upright growth branches and sucker branches that affect the growth of the main branches should be transformed into large or medium-sized fruiting branches by thinning, twisting, and pulling. In addition, do not cut off the nutrient branches that have many branches and average growth for the time being. In short, pruning during this period should focus on thinning branches and leaves to achieve the purpose of ventilation and light transmission.

3. Pruning during the peak fruiting period

Pruning during this period is mainly to renew and rejuvenate new branches, appropriately cut back side branches that are weaker in growth, have longer branch axes, and have poor fruiting ability, and cut off dry suckers, protecting new branches that have room for development and better growth, and cultivating them into new fruiting branches.

4. Pruning during the aging period

The growth rate of trees in the aging period gradually slows down, and they slowly age. They flower but the fruit setting rate is not high, so the renewal replacement method should be adopted. Based on the growth form and speed of the tree, the diseased, old and weak branches are cut off, which is extremely beneficial to the good growth of the better-developed branches and trunks. And remove excess flower buds to avoid the phenomenon of large and small buds bearing fruit. By rejuvenating the main branches, the effect of high yield and harvest can be achieved smoothly.

That’s it