Cutting back apple tree

 Hi

The apple tree in my garden gave a good crop this year, but it's spreading
out a bit too much. I reckon several branches could do with cutting back by
between 1 & 3 feet. Is it as simple as just chopping the branches back to
where I want, or is there a particular part of the branch one should chop?

Thanks

 
: The apple tree in my garden gave a good crop this year, but it's spreading
: out a bit too much. I reckon several branches could do with cutting back by
: between 1 & 3 feet. Is it as simple as just chopping the branches back to
: where I want, or is there a particular part of the branch one should chop?

I'd wait until the tree is dormant - leaves all fallen etc. I usually do
my big pruning in Jan/Feb

Big largish branches you can probably just cut back - I'd suggest to
back to more than you need, to allow 1/2 new shoots to grow out and form
new branches. These will be pretty productive in the coming years.

Try and imagine where you want the new growth to go and angle the cut in
that direction and sloping so that the cut surface is protected from rain
a bit.

The big problem with big cuts is that in spring there will be loats and
lots of vigorous new shoots sprout up. Most of the these need to removed
by "rubbing" out very early on, leaving one or 2 to grow into replacement
branches in the right direction.

 

spreading

I want some apples next year too, so bettwe not get too chop-happy, I guess
:)


that's a good idea.. I hadn't thought so much of shaping the tree as simply
"taming" it, but I'll think more on that.

Thanks
Ian

 On 10/1/04 6:02 AM, in article cjjkol$f8u$1@blackmamba.itd.rl.ac.uk, "IanW"


    I think learning the basics from the site already mention in a previous
post and then reading up in books at the library etc...i.e. Get lots of info
then go to it. If it were possible to get 5 people to prune the same tree
and, after the first had finished, all branches could magically be put back
on the tree to allow the next to prune...you would find that not one would
do it exactly the same way. But what they do the same way, is follow the
basics.
Gary

 
Here is some stuff .... http://doityourself.com/fruits/prune_apples.htm