How to Prune Apple Trees in the Summer
Regular pruning of your apple tree is necessary to keep the tree healthy. While you may have heard that the best time to prune apple trees is in late winter, before the new growth begins, there are reasons for pruning in the summer. Summer pruning is ideal for apple orchards, where you might want your trees to grow less rather than more. Summer pruning will reduce the amount that the tree grows, greatly diminishing output, and allow for better direct growth through selective pruning cuts. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Check the branches of your apple tree for dead, damaged or diseased branches. These should be removed right away; ideally, dead or damaged branches should be removed as soon as they're discovered.
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Snip off dead or damaged branches at the base. Remove all clippings to a garbage bin so as not to attract pests. Cleanse your pruning tools with a disinfectant solution and dry them thoroughly before continuing.
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Remove upward growing branches by snipping them off. Also trim away any branches that rub up against other branches, since the friction will cause one to snap.
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Select an upright shoot to be the leader shoot at the top of the tree. Cut away any other upright shoots to have one central leader. This helps establish the growth and overall structure of apple tree, one of the main reasons for summer pruning. Your leader shoot will establish vertical growth so that the tree continues to grow vertically; having competing leader shoots gives your tree poor structure.
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Cut off lateral shoots that are too close to your leader shoot. Aim to have lateral shoots that make a 70 degree angle with the main trunk, and no higher.
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Remove low growing branches so that your apple tree does not establish strong low branching.
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Tips & Warnings
The best time for summer pruning is June to July. Later pruning might leave the tree vulnerable in winter.
If you don't wish to train your apple tree or diminish fruiting, prune only in the dormant season.
References
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Comments
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I have a apple tree in my yard. The tree was planted back in 1975. I t is about sixty feet high. How do I prune this tree so as to grow apples properly.
