Unfortunately, that new wood is extremely vulnerable to winter’s cold. And if temperatures warm in the fall or stay moderate for long, the trees can start to produce new wood. Although fall is a great time for cutting back most perennials, it’s not the case for apple trees. The first and most important tip starts with knowing when to prune your trees – and when not to!įor best results, always prune your trees in late winter. Winter Pruning – Why To Prune Apple Trees When They Are Dormant In fact, armed with just a few key pruning techniques and tips, you can keep your trees productive and manageable with just an hour or two of work. Winter pruning is also better for the tree, causing zero stress while it is dormant.īut the good news is that keeping your apple trees in shape is easier than you might think. Pruning in the winter has several advantages, the first of which is the ease of seeig the limb structure. Unfortunately, that usually leads to trees that damage or die out long before they should. Limbs that have difficulty standing up to tough weather conditions, or to a heavy fruit load in late summer. Worse yet, it is also more prone to creating apples with a large amount of deformities.īut perhaps most important of all, overgrown apple trees often become weak trees with weak limbs. With so many of the tree’s resources supporting pure growth, the fruit that does form is often undersized and underdeveloped. Instead of using its resources to help create quality blooms and ripen fruit, the trees energy is spent on maintaining excess limbs and leaves.Įven more, all of that excess growth usually affects the quality of the fruit as well. More Reasons To Keep Your Apple Trees In Shape – How To Prune Apple TreesĪ thick overgrown canopy of foliage can also be tough on an apple tree’s productivity. And drying off excess moisture is extremely important when it comes to keeping mildew, mold and other apple tree ailments at bay. Both of which are important for drying the tree’s foliage after heavy rains and morning dew. With proper pruning, you can help your apple trees produce a robust crop of fruit.įor starters, all of that growth can block much needed sunlight and air circulation to the interior of the tree.

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