Maby pruning is not my thing

[BC Buck]

Had a tree with a central leader shaped like a pretzel. Dont ask me how or why its just my luck. I cut it off in front of a bud thinking I would get nice straight 12" of new growth. Pruned February of 2017 and after one growing season this is all it grew. I think this is a Freedom.

 

[Mortenson]

For the experts to weigh in, would it be a bad thing to turn the large limb going rightward into the main leader? Or is that asking too much of an apple tree?

 

[Turkey Creek]

The problem as it sits now is that the new growth is not the dominate leader, the branches are higher and are taking the vigor out of your central leader. Make a bigger cage and tie those limbs down so that they are lower than the leader.

 

[H20fwler]

Looking at it the small branch in the center wants to be the main leader. You have a lot of low branches that I wouldn’t want anyway, I would loose some of those and cut a few of the others back and that center may take off.

Freedom and Enterprise want to naturally grow outward branching on mine too but I don’t have the main leader issue you do.

 

[David M. Taylor]

Decision time. You already have the perfect framework for an open-center / vase-shaped tree. You don't necessarily need to have a central leader, just because that's the happenin' trend right now. But if central leader style is what you want, then you need to remove those two gigantically thick side scaffolds that are competing with the wimpy leader. Choose one or the other, not both at the same time which is what you have right now.

 

[Telemark]

Decision time. You already have the perfect framework for an open-center / vase-shaped tree. You don't necessarily need to have a central leader

That's what I was thinking, but I am a novice so I didn't want to say anything. I have seen several apple trees with a branching structure that produce well.

If it was my tree, I would leave it with the shape it has.

 

[buckvelvet]

@David M. Taylor that is awfully low to the ground to be trying to pull off a vase shape/open center for wildlife, that tree would take significant damage as it sits now.

You don't have to make an apple tree central leader but for wild life setting it makes it a low easier trying to get the browse line up in the air.

 

[BC Buck]

So if I want to try for central leader growth do I cut the two closes(right and left) limbs right at central leader.

 

[Northbound]

If it was mine I'd cut off every branch, to low for wildlife and to low to mow around