How to Prune NW Apple Trees

Don't prune apple trees when they are blooming

According to the University of Washington, more than a dozen apple tree varieties are extremely hardy and productive in northwest regions of the United States. Braeburn, Fuji, Jonagold, McIntosh, and Gala all thrive in USDA hardiness zones 4, 5 and 6. Red and Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp and Melrose will also do well. Prune apple trees when they are three to five years old to ensure that a strong scaffold of branches springs from a central leader, or trunk, and they will withstand decades of wind and weather, producing delicious fruit year after year.

Things You'll Need

• Gloves
• Short-handled pruning shears
• Long-handled pruning shears
• Yard waste bags

Instructions

1. Always perform major pruning in late winter or very early spring, while the apple tree is dormant and before any new growth appears. If the tree has a a double trunk, cut the weaker one away with long-handled pruning shears, leaving the stronger trunk as the central leader.

2. Stand back from the tree and look for five to seven laterally growing branches, spaced evenly, 8 to 12 inches apart on the trunk. These are the scaffold branches that will bear fruit. Cut the others away with the long-handled shears. Set the blades at a 45-degree downward angle and snip off the branches, leaving a 1/2-inch stub that will let moisture drip off. Do not cut branches flush with the trunk or you will cause bark injury.

3. Snip off vertically growing branches with short-handled shears. These branches will not produce apples, and will keep light from reaching the center of the tree when leaves come out.

4. Prune off shoots or "suckers" from the base of the trunk and from branches throughout the spring and summer months with the short-handled shears. Suckers do not produce apples, and their vigorous growth takes energy away from fruit production.

5. Clip out dead or storm-damaged wood from your apple trees at any time of year, whenever you notice it. Cut all pruned branches into manageable lengths, and discard in yard waste bags. Do not leave decaying wood at the base of the tree because it will invite fungus and insects.

Tips & Warnings

• Dip the blades of pruning equipment in boiling water before and after each use to prevent transmission of disease from other plantings.

• Rake up fallen fruit, or it will attract rodents, raccoons and deer in northwest regions.

References

• University of Wisconsin: Training and Pruning Apple Trees
• Washington State University: Why Fruit Trees Fail to Bear
• Washington State University: Pruning Tree Fruit
• USDA: Plant Hardiness Zone Map

Resources

• University of Missouri: Summer Pruning Apple Trees
• University of Illinois: Apples and More