Help me choose - pruning advice

[Knehrke]

I have an apple that's been in the ground now for ~3 years. - a couple pictures below show a double leader from different angles- and I'm not sure exactly what cuts to make. Do I let the double leader ride? Maybe top cut it? Do I take the stem that's at an angle and leave a single central leader? Or am I missing it entirely? Despite nearly zero experience pruning, I'm trying to learn on the go, and with lots of trees getting to this stage or later, I need to learn fast lol. I think this one is either an Enterprise or Galarina on B118, in zone 5a. Thanks for looking and chiming in.

 

[Native Hunter]

I am assuming these are semi-dwarf trees. Some people may not agree with me on this, but I like for my first scaffolding limbs to start at around 4 feet off the ground. This makes it so much easier to clean out around a tree - and this is especially true if you will be mowing around them with a riding mower. I would have trimmed back all of the bottom limbs earlier, but even now, that is what I would do to that tree. Even if you cleared out the limbs from 3 feet down to the ground, it appears that it would take care of your double main leader for this tree. It is possible to take too much at once, so you might want to gradually do it over a couple of years. Just make clean cuts right against the main leader to promote quick healing. Good luck.

 

[Prof.Kent]

Crown lift he tree (cutting out lower limbs to "raise" the crown of the tree. That massive side branch has to go. It is competing (and winning) with the central leader. Most likely it will eventualy cause the tree to lean or tip over. If this tree is just for the deer, then cut a fdew more lower branches off that until you get to the top of the fence. As the tree matures the lower limbs will bend down with the weight of the fruit and the deer pulling on the limbs and damage the limbs on the fence. It is usually said to not remove more than 30% of the live vegetative growth of tree in one year. Otherwise it will stress the roots.
Here are some videos you might find helpful.

 

[b116757]

^^^^ I agree with Professor. I have pruned trees for a low starting open center in my home orchard never again will I do that.

 

[Buckly]

Yep, get those lower ones out of there. I don’t like anything below 5 ft but, most all my trees are B118.

 

[buckdeer1]

I would cut that left hand leader right above the fork of those 2 smaller limbs and cut that little limb growing in.Also the lower ones

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I agree with Native Hunter and Prof. Kent. I'd take off everything below the top of the fence and walk away for THIS spring. You want to leave some branches above the fence top for leaf surface area for photosynthesis action to grow the tree.

If it's any comfort - I once pruned off a 1 1/2" diameter double leader on an Enterprise tree. The cut spooked me, and I wondered if I had doomed the tree. Turns out - it was the best move I've made for any tree at camp. The main central leader shot upward that summer, the tree is balanced, and the scaffold limbs got woodier. The wasted energy that WAS going to that other leader went instead to the rest of the tree. New limbs grew out on the side of the main leader where the other leader had been.

The Penn State professor I've talked to via e-mail told me - you don't complete the training & shaping of an apple tree in one year. It's a multi-year process, and you do a little each year until you have the overall shape and scaffold limbs you want as the finished product. Then it's just maintenance pruning going forward. Hope that helps. FWIW.

 

[Knehrke]

I appreciate the advice. In general, I've been pruning nearly all of the branches that are lower than 5' from the fifty or so other apples we've put in, for the same reasons stated above - but always wondering if I'm doing the right thing. Good to hear some validation. Somehow, the tree in the pictures here didn't get pruned last year, and this is what I've ended up with. I will take guidance from this thread and post a picture post-pruning in a couple weeks after I get rid of those lower limbs, as suggested by nearly everyone and detailed by Prof. Kent. Again, I appreciate you all.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

What if there are limbs on the tree that came that way? I have a few new trees from NWC and others that have branches anywhere from 6"-30" above the ground. Should I prune these all? Or just the lowest ones? I am real new to this pruning gig. Thanks!

 

[Apple Junkie]

What if there are limbs on the tree that came that way? I have a few new trees from NWC and others that have branches anywhere from 6"-30" above the ground. Should I prune these all? Or just the lowest ones? I am real new to this pruning gig. Thanks!

I just gradually work my way up the trunk Dan, removing no more than 25% of the leaf area. This usually means removing the lower few branches each year until the first forks are around 4 feet or so off the ground. It’s hard to screw it up if you do everything in moderation, remembering there is really no rush. That’s just my rule of thumb.

 

[Teeder]

^^^^ I agree with Professor. I have pruned trees for a low starting open center in my home orchard never again will I do that.

I have 2 trees planted about 17-18 years ago that I pruned that way ( Cortland and spygold). Terrible to mow under and I've only got about 6 apples total from the 2 combined. Last year was the 1st apple from the spygold. All I get is a zillion 4-5' water sprouts from them every year. Thinking about taking some grafts off them, ripping them out, and planting some applecrabs.

 

[Wild Thing]

I agree with Native Hunter and Prof. Kent. I'd take off everything below the top of the fence and walk away for THIS spring. You want to leave some branches above the fence top for leaf surface area for photosynthesis action to grow the tree.

If it's any comfort - I once pruned off a 1 1/2" diameter double leader on an Enterprise tree. The cut spooked me, and I wondered if I had doomed the tree. Turns out - it was the best move I've made for any tree at camp. The main central leader shot upward that summer, the tree is balanced, and the scaffold limbs got woodier. The wasted energy that WAS going to that other leader went instead to the rest of the tree. New limbs grew out on the side of the main leader where the other leader had been.

The Penn State professor I've talked to via e-mail told me - you don't complete the training & shaping of an apple tree in one year. It's a multi-year process, and you do a little each year until you have the overall shape and scaffold limbs you want as the finished product. Then it's just maintenance pruning going forward. Hope that helps. FWIW.

Spot on and excellent advice.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Spot on and excellent advice.

This isn't me being a genius / expert on tree pruning. I just listened to advice from on here by apple-growing veterans, nursery owners, and university professors. It was THEIR smarts that resulted in the good outcome I got. Credit goes to them - not me. MY smarts was listening to them!!!!

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I learned a while ago, they are tough trees, and it’s hard to mess them up in moderation. I learned if I don’t prune them, they do good, if I prune them a lot, they do good, and if I prune them a little, they do good. So I went to an every other year, trim what looks bad, then let the tree defend for itself after that. I didn’t plant a bunch of trees to spend weekends maintaining them every year.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

What if there are limbs on the tree that came that way? I have a few new trees from NWC and others that have branches anywhere from 6"-30" above the ground. Should I prune these all? Or just the lowest ones? I am real new to this pruning gig. Thanks!

here are some examples:



This last one is real hard for me to judge..do I just let both of those leaders go or do I have to pick one? The tree came like that....Note: it is a pear tree....the other 3 are crabs

 

[Mortenson]

Just take 1 off. Don't give it a 2nd thought.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Just take 1 off. Don't give it a 2nd thought.

gotta get some of those pruning tools to get here from amazon first...

 

[Apple Junkie]

Those look like nice heathy trees. Just stick to the plan, and keep pruning off the lower branches every year. If you see obvious large upper branches starting to grow inward, you might want to prune them off too, but again, no rush. As for the last one, I’m with Mortenson, pick one and lope the other two off (I’d keep the one on the left). Lol… it only hurts (you) for a second!

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Those look like nice heathy trees. Just stick to the plan, and keep pruning off the lower branches every year. If you see obvious large upper branches starting to grow inward, you might want to prune them off too, but again, no rush. As for the last one, I’m with Mortenson, pick one and lope the other two off (I’d keep the one on the left). Lol… it only hurts (you) for a second!

yes i am very pleased with how thick they have gotten around the trunks after one year...they just didn't add much height (although a few surprised me yesterday after not checking on them for a while)...
A few clips of lower and crossing branches and I'm hoping in year 1-2 of being in the ground they will take off...it does definitely scare me to make that large of a cut on that pear though...

 

[Buckly]

Just remember those aren’t actually large cuts. Those trees and branches are still very small. You can’t really hurt them taking off the lower branches. Of all the apples that I have ever planted as 2 year old stock I’ve taken every limb off just leaving a whip. They grow branches up higher and just keep those. For instance in your first picture, I would take every branch off that tree and also put a stake in for that tree whip. I use plastic locking chain to attach to the stake. It’s good for adjustability and won’t hurt the tree as it grows.