On 10/1/04 6:02 AM, in article , "IanW"
wrote:


"J Jackson" wrote in message
...
IanW wrote:

: The apple tree in my garden gave a good crop this year, but it's
spreading
: out a bit too much. I reckon several branches could do with cutting back
by
: between 1 & 3 feet. Is it as simple as just chopping the branches back
to
: where I want, or is there a particular part of the branch one should
chop?

I'd wait until the tree is dormant - leaves all fallen etc. I usually do
my big pruning in Jan/Feb

Big largish branches you can probably just cut back - I'd suggest to
back to more than you need, to allow 1/2 new shoots to grow out and form
new branches. These will be pretty productive in the coming years.

I want some apples next year too, so bettwe not get too chop-happy, I guess


Try and imagine where you want the new growth to go and angle the cut in
that direction

that's a good idea.. I hadn't thought so much of shaping the tree as simply
"taming" it, but I'll think more on that.

Thanks
Ian

Hi Ian
I think learning the basics from the site already mention in a previous
post and then reading up in books at the library etc...i.e. Get lots of info
then go to it. If it were possible to get 5 people to prune the same tree
and, after the first had finished, all branches could magically be put back
on the tree to allow the next to prune...you would find that not one would
do it exactly the same way. But what they do the same way, is follow the
basics.
Gary