I have a handful of crabs I have planted over the years. Dolgo,Chestnut, and Whitney. Most of them are producing some fruit. I have been pruning them like I prune my apples. Is this the right thing to do? Would I be better just leaving them alone? I have seen many time that guys just leave them alone.
Pruning crabapples
- Thread starter ruskbucks
- Start date
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
I'm certainly no expert, but some pruning is probably beneficial. Crossing, rubbing branches, dead limbs ( if any ), and limbs stacked on top of each other would be things I'd take out. Personally - I don't go too crazy on the smaller-fruiting crabs. I just prune as above on those. ^^^^^ Ones like Kerr, Trailman, All-Winter-Hangover, Chestnut, & Centennial ( larger fruiting varieties ) - I tend to prune a little more like a regular apple tree. So far-so good with that plan.
chickenlittle
5 year old buck +
They will benefit from whatever pruning you choose to do.
If this is on your place in Rusk county I would recommend only lightly pruning. I like having some extra branches on my apple trees in bear country so there are some extra branches available when the bears eventually hit the trees.
I had some awesome looking apple trees that I pruned really nicely up there. Then a bear came through and tore everything up and they were really in rough shape. My unpruned trees that were hit bounced back much sooner since they had quite a few extra branches to fill in the gaps created by the bears.
I do the same thing as BnB - I just take out dead branches, crossing branches, rubbing branches and odd watersprouts. Everything else is left as bear insurance.
I had some awesome looking apple trees that I pruned really nicely up there. Then a bear came through and tore everything up and they were really in rough shape. My unpruned trees that were hit bounced back much sooner since they had quite a few extra branches to fill in the gaps created by the bears.
I do the same thing as BnB - I just take out dead branches, crossing branches, rubbing branches and odd watersprouts. Everything else is left as bear insurance.
