How to Prune Limbs From Apple Trees

Use a sharp pruning saw to minimize the risk of tearing the apple tree's limbs.

For safety reasons, remove damaged and diseased apple tree limbs. In addition, prune any limbs that are growing outside of the designated planting location. The best time to prune your apply tree is in late winter when the tree is still dormant to avoid causing winter damage and pruning shock. If an apple tree limb is in danger of falling, you should prune it off the tree immediately despite the time of year.

Things You'll Need

• Pruning saw
• Denatured alcohol

Instructions

1. Remove limbs that are dead or have succumbed to a fungal disease. Common apple tree diseases consist of apple scab, crown rot and black rot. You can tell a limb has a disease if leaves are discolored, there are branch cankers or there is trig dieback. To cut a limb, make your first cut underneath, halfway through the diameter of the branch a few inches from the branch collar of the tree. The branch collar is the swelling that attaches the branch to the main trunk.

2. Make your second cut all the way through the diameter of the branch and a few inches down from the first cut, closer to the tips of the tree. Your third cut should be at a downward 45-degree angle right next to the branch collar to avoid leaving a stub.

3. Cut off any competing leader limbs. Apple trees must have one main leader or trunk in order to grow evenly. Competing leaders are vertically growing limbs that you need to remove next to the branch collars.

4. Prune off any limbs that are growing below 24 to 36 inches above the soil line of the tree. Dig a hole next to any suckers growing from the root ball of the tree. A sucker is a vertically growing limb that steals water and nutrients from the tree. Make a cut flush with the root ball of the apple tree and replace the soil.

5. Take off limbs that are pushing against another structure or growing inward.

Tips & Warnings

• Cut off any shoots that have dried fruit on their limbs from the previous growing season.

• Sterilize your pruning tools with 70 percent denatured alcohol and 30 percent water in between cuts to prevent spreading a fungal disease.

References

• North Carolina State University: Training and Pruning Fruit Trees
• University of New Hampshire: Care of Mature Backyard Apple Trees