How to Trim Dwarf Apple Trees

Dwarf apple trees offer many benefits to home and professional growers. Because dwarf apple trees only grow about 10 feet tall, pruning and harvesting are much easier than with standard apple trees. Trim your dwarf apple trees during the winter months to keep them healthy. Pruning a dwarf apple tree is similar to trimming a full-size apple tree. Before trimming, examine the tree. Apple trees grow with a central leader, a main trunk growing up the center of the tree. You should see this main vertical trunk with horizontal branches growing from it.

Things You'll Need

• Pole saw
• Pruning shears

Instructions

1. Find any dead or unhealthy branches, and branches that are declining in production. Remove these with the pole saw. Cut them back to the next-largest branch.

2. Remove lateral (horizontal) branches that are closer than 2 feet along the central leader. Dwarf apple trees need this space between the lateral branches so all the branches receive enough sunlight. Trim off the newest lateral branches to maintain the proper spacing.

3. Cut away suckers that appear around the base of the tree, using the pruning shears. These suckers will sap energy from the tree if you allow them to grow.

4. Remove any branches growing vertically -- except for the central leader -- with the pole saw or the pruning shears. Often these upright branches begin growing high up in the tree at a crotch, the point between the central leader and a lateral branch. Prune these vertical branches out to keep the proper angles between branches.

5. Keep the apple tree growing in a pyramid shape by trimming the central leader some years. Cut the top off the leader by as much as one-third of its growth, if necessary, to keep it balanced with the other branches.

Tips & Warnings

• One big difference between dwarf apple trees and full-size apple trees is the rootstock. Dwarf apple trees have weaker rootstocks, necessitating support. If you do not support your dwarf apple trees, they may lean or fall over. Support the tree with a 2-inch-wide, 10-foot-tall stake, driven into the soil at least 2 feet deep and about 1 foot away from the trunk. Secure the tree to the stake with wire.

References

• Virginia Cooperative Extension: Training and Pruning Apple Trees
• New Mexico State University: Training Young Apple Trees to the Modified Central Leader System