Quote:
Originally Posted by Plymouth82
Any tips and advice about cutting back an old apple tree. It was here when we bought the house and I wails say has not been cut back in years. It is much too large it had loads of fruit last yr but all very small. Should I go lightly with the cut back or really go for it. I have only ever had cherrie trees before and they liked a hard prune back every few yrs any hints?
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Hi Plymouth, further to the other replies, I'd like to add the following:-
start by removing any diseased or broken branches,
next, any branches that are crossing and rubbing,
then any that are growing towards the centre of the tree,
then thin out the remainder evenly.
This should have removed about the said 1/3.
The problem with old trees is that they tend to make very little new growth (the reason for pruning in the first place)
You might find (depending on variety) that this coming year, if you have removed too much, that it makes alot of new sappy growth. If so, come first week of August, cut these back by 1/3 to an outward growing bud (they will then produce fruit spurs the following spring !!
The eventual aim is to get a balance between new growth and fruit (the fewer the fruit, within reason, the larger they will be. Aim for an 'open' and
'goblet' shaped tree.
regards,
Lannerman.