Pruning apple tree?

Eyeore

Hi everyone,

Just been enjoying the frosty morning and realised that I have forgotten to prune my apple tree! Is is too late now the heavy frost is here? Should I wait until spring?

The tree is only a small one, I didn't prune it last year as my neighbour kindly gave it to me and we thought it best to give a year off after it's transplant!

Thank you

blossomhill_2

Hi I went to an"apple day " this year and the nursery man's advice on pruning small trees was basically " don't" he said if you do youll get a pretty tree but far less fruit than you should get. Just take out any crossing branches or any in the way

theoretica

I prune mine when they are dormant - so any time they don't have leaves.

Sambucus_Nigra

We have no idea whether it needs pruning or not as we can't see it!

My rules are:
Dead, diseased, crossing, shaping.

[Deleted User]

I pruned my second year maidens today. They are on M26 rootstocks. I took one horizontal branch off one, leaving the other four branches, which are more vertical with small angles. I then took just a couple of inches off each branch. The other two second year maidens each have 3 or four vertical branches, so they just had a couple of inches taken off each one and that is it for this year. I am glad to say that all the branches are staggered and not surrounding a central point

Eyeore

Many thanks indeed everyone, I shall leave this year and see how much fruit I get next summer, then I can prune when the leaves have dropped if necessary.

Sambucus_Nigra

kittie wrote: »

I pruned my second year maidens today. They are on M26 rootstocks. I took one horizontal branch off one, leaving the other four branches, which are more vertical with small angles. I then took just a couple of inches off each branch. The other two second year maidens each have 3 or four vertical branches, so they just had a couple of inches taken off each one and that is it for this year. I am glad to say that all the branches are staggered and not surrounding a central point

Problem comes if the apples are tip fruiting rather than spur fruiting.

In which case you've just chopped off next years apples!

[Deleted User]

yes I know that some are tip fruiting, they are baby two year olds and I won`t be getting apples for another two years and nor do I want them. I am now getting the bush framework into shape for the future, pruning tactics will obviously change over time as the bushes develop

http://www.iansturrockandsons.co.uk/video/pruning.html#video31

I am privileged to have 3 of his trees. I didn`t need to nick and notch this year but will in future if needed, at the moment I have delayed open centred bushes and am concentrating on bench cutting

Sambucus_Nigra

kittie wrote: »

yes I know that some are tip fruiting, they are baby two year olds and I won`t be getting apples for another two years and nor do I want them. I am now getting the bush framework into shape for the future, pruning tactics will obviously change over time as the bushes develop

http://www.iansturrockandsons.co.uk/video/pruning.html#video31

I am privileged to have 3 of his trees. I didn`t need to nick and notch this year but will in future if needed, at the moment I have delayed open centred bushes and am concentrating on bench cutting

You might, but if someone else reads your post without knowing that, they could lose all next year's apples. Hence me not advising without seeing the tree.