How to Trim a Crabapple Tree

Trimming a crab apple tree is all about timing. Known for its beautiful pink and white blossoms and bitter fruit adored by birds,a crab apple tree adds a delicate touch to your garden. Trimming your tree properly can guarantee it will bloom another season.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pruning saw
• Shears
• Safety goggles
• Gardening/work gloves

1. Trim the tree two to three weeks after it finishes blooming. This should prevent you from removing buds containing next year's flowers. In addition, pruning right after the bloom period allows the pruning wounds to heal. So begin cutting off all dead, diseased or broken branches, making sure your cuts are clean, with a sharp pruning saw or shears. This helps reduce stress on the tree and keeps it growing healthily.

2. Remove branches that are weak or in the way of power lines. Also cut branches that cross over one another. They will block the light to other branches.

3. Be sure not to overdo it. Prune a little at a time. Be cautious about topping the tree--cutting it off to a certain height. This can actually weaken the overall tree.

4. Pruning back longer branches and reducing them to lateral branches allows you to trim your branches without topping. However, be careful not to thin the interior branches--those closest to the trunk--as it can lead to limb breakage.

References

• Tree Trimming
• Pruning Old Crabapple Tree