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Step 1
Remove old apple trees if more than a quarter of the branches are dead or rotten. You can salvage old trees with lesser damage by applying 20 to 30 pounds of nitrogen to each tree per season.
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Step 2
Work in a large amount of compost and manure during each growing season. Apple trees are heavy feeders and poorly fed trees may exhibit yellow leaves and small fruits.
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Step 3
Prune cross branches in the late winter to promote air circulation and permit maximum sunlight to reach the productive branches. Remove all non-productive branches and suckers when you prune the apple trees.
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Step 4
Thin out excess fruits in clusters so the trees can devote energy to producing larger apples in the final harvest. Aim for no more than three fruits per cluster.
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Step 5
Pick up all fallen fruit at the end of each season to prevent diseases and pests from sheltering over the winter. You can prevent apple scab, in particular, by removing fallen fruit and as many leaves as possible in the fall.
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Step 6
Apply dormant oil to apple trees in the late winter to smother pests. Dormant oil controls scale, mite and aphid pests.
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Step 7
Mulch apple orchards heavily or grow a cover crop of sweet clover or rye. Apple trees can't withstand competition from turf or weeds.
