What Should I Do With This Apple Tree

[SwampCat]

I have several apple trees that look like this. Been in my ground 2 years. Probably 12 ft tall and spindly. How should I prune this tree?

 

[buckdeer1]

I'm no pruning expert but I would get rid of right sided leader and see if I couldn't promote sprouts by slicing trunk. Might take some research

 

[Telemark]

If it were my tree, I would prune it like so this winter and then stake it up straight in June.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Is there also another competing leader in the rear of the pic?? I see something that looks whiter behind the tallest main leader. If so - I'd cut that off too. I'd let all side branches on the central leader starting with that lowest one with the green & yellow leaves pointing left in the pic. Depending on how high you want your finished tree to be, you might not want to cut the central leader shorter as in Telemark's top red mark. If you want a tall tree - don't cut the leader. ( I follow the advice of Penn State's fruit tree dept. professors. I'm no fruit tree genius!!! ) They told me I want wide crotch angles on the main scaffold branches - not narrow, steep angles - so the branches don't crack when loaded with fruit. Wider crotch angles are stronger. Scaffold branches are the main side-branches that grow off the central leader.

If you want to maintain a shorter tree, Telemark's top red mark cut is perfect to stimulate more branching. ( Not picking on Telemark here!! )

There are a number of You Tube videos on pruning and training apple trees online. I bought a book from Penn State for $12 that's geared to non-commercial fruit growers. It has lots of fruit tree info on pruning, training a tree for shape, pests & diseases, nutrition, etc. Plenty of diagrams in it.

 

[Prof.Kent]

Do what Bowsnbucks suggests.

 

[PoorSand]

My thoughts are along those same lines as well. One thought I will add is that your enclosure looks similar to many of mine. Every now and then I have a tree that grows a lot of height before putting on a balanced amount of girth, similar to how that one looks to me in the photo, and it bends in the wind and rubs on top of the wire. I either put some padding around the top of the wire enclosure or cut back the top of the leader to get the tree to a more balanced height-to-girth ratio.

By the way, if you know what variety that is, and feel charitable, there are sometimes guys on the scion exchange thread looking for scion donations from other members to use for their first year trying to graft.

 

[Teeder]

"I bought a book from Penn State for $12 that's geared to non-commercial fruit growers. It has lots of fruit tree info on pruning, training a tree for shape, pests & diseases, nutrition, etc. Plenty of diagrams in it."

That sounds like something I need!