Too late to prune apple trees?.

[buckeyefarmer]

I always forget to prune my apple trees, is it too late to do it in the mid atlantic area?

 

[dex3361]

I always forget to prune my apple trees, is it too late to do it in the mid atlantic area?

Mid March is the about the cut off for zone 6. I have yet to do my trees it has been so wet.

 

[forgeblast]

I was out about two weeks ago pruning, I dont think its going to be that big of a deal, the nights are still cold enough to discurage bugs.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

well, I hacked them up, hopefully I didn't kill them. I have never had much luck with apple trees growing any apples.

 

[Chuck52]

I pruned mine here in Mid Missouri last weekend....I think your timing is fine. I've read that pruning right up to bud break is OK, and might even be beneficial. I wish I was confident about how to prune. Folks who do it well say it is so easy, but my trees never seem to look like the ones in the pictures and I'm only confident about a few of the cuts I make.

I just got an order of trees from Burnt Ridge Nursery and now I have to figure out how best to plant in the mud. It's so wet at my place that I sink to my ankles just about everywhere. It won't dry anytime soon, so I'll end up digging holes and mixing the dirt with something like bought top soil or compost from WallyWorld just so I can get the trees in the ground. Gotta be extra sure to plant them high, too. Sure won't have to worry about watering them for a while.

Chuck

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I wish I was confident about how to prune. Folks who do it well say it is so easy, but my trees never seem to look like the ones in the pictures and I'm only confident about a few of the cuts I make.

Chuck

I know what you mean. I have lots of orchards around, my apple trees look nothing like theirs as far as pruning goes.

 

[dex3361]

The book I bought said to prune everything between 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock and any branches crossing or rubbing. All I had left was a stump.:laughing:
The old timers would say to prune an apple tree so that you could throw a cat through the tree and he (the cat) can't grab a branch. Then you have pruned correctly. Oh and use the neighbors cat. Pretty soon you won't be able to catch a cat around your apple trees. OK I will stop now.

 

[MossRoad]

I was always told to prune out any branches that point straight up (suckers) and any that point in, any that cross, or any that rub. You want it to look like a vase shape or upside down bell, with few inside branches to promote good air circulation.

 

[Chuck52]

Yep. I cut off the suckers and try to select the best branch to keep when it comes to crossing branches. I try for the main trunk style with my apple trees, and where I often seem to have problems is in getting that main trunk established. I've got more than 15 varieties of apples, and some of them really try to make the menorah look.

Chuck

 

[forgeblast]

Fedco Trees - renovating old apple trees

I have been trying to renovate some old apple trees, this was handy as far as pruning.