How To Prune Fruit Trees For Better Fruit Production

Why Overgrown Apple Trees Are A Problem

Trees left to their own devices become overgrown. Too many branches in the canopy prevent air circulation. Those damp, dark spaces attract fruit pests and harmful diseases that injure the tree. 

What’s worse is that those diseases and pests can spread to neighboring fruit trees. 

The nest of branches also blocks the sun from reaching other branches. If your apple tree still produces fruit, any fruit growing on those inner hidden branches cannot ripen due to lack of sun, resulting in poor tasting fruit and an unattractive tree. 

One of the best things you can do to improve the health of your apple tree and improve fruit production is to prune it correctly. 

While properly pruning your apple tree is not necessarily difficult, it does require some knowledge, know-how, and the right tools. Incorrectly pruning your fruit tree can do more damage than good. So if you are unsure at all, have a local tree care specialist with experience pruning apple trees old and new prune your apple tree for you. 

How To Prune Apple Trees

When pruning apple trees, you can do a few things to revive them, depending on how overgrown your tree has become and its condition. 

OPTION 1:  REMOVE DEAD, DAMAGED, AND DISEASED BRANCHES

The first step to pruning an apple tree - or any tree - is to remove the dead, damaged, and diseased branches. Dead branches won’t have any living buds, leaves, or blossoms. Damaged branches are any branches that are broken, split, or wounded. Dead and damaged branches provide entry points for pests and disease, so remove them. Lastly, diseased branches can have strange growths or bumps that don’t belong there that can even ooze. These issues can quickly spread, so remove any diseased branches you see. 

Improving air circulation and sunlight penetration helps prevent fruit tree pests and diseases. Selectively removing some of the scaffolding branches can dramatically improve air circulation. 

Scaffold branches grow from the trunk of the tree. They can be pretty significant, so removing one can make a massive difference to airflow and increase the amount of light penetrating the canopy. Ideally, you want to be able to throw a football through the apple tree without it getting caught in a tangle of branches. So look for clumped branches and remove some of the older scaffolding branches. 

OPTION 3:  PRUNE SAIL BRANCHES

Sail branches look like an entire tree growing from one of the older, more established side branches. These sail branches put extreme pressure on the apple tree, making it unstable and vulnerable to breakage. Removing them improves the strength and structural integrity of the fruit tree.

OPTION 4:  REMOVE WATER SPROUTS

Water sprouts are branches that point to the sky. They develop to help your apple tree survive overzealous and incorrect pruning by capturing as much of the sun’s energy as possible. They do not produce fruit and drain the tree of nutrients and energy vital to fruit production. Removing water sprouts allows the tree to divert that energy to the fruiting branches of your apple tree. 

The only time keeping water sprouts can be beneficial is when the apple tree is ancient, hollow, and has lost all scaffolding branches. The epicormic growth of water sprouts can help keep the tree alive until an arborist can inspect your apple tree and help you determine whether the tree can be saved or needs removal.

The final option that can improve the health of your apple tree and encourage better fruit production is to shorten scaffold branches. Scaffold branches get longer every year, becoming heavier and more unstable. Shortening long scaffold branches prevent sail branches from developing and breakage, which leaves your apple tree exposed to pests and disease. 

Never prune off more than 20% of your apple tree. Generally, we recommend pruning 10% - 15% of the tree canopy. If you have an old, established, severely overgrown apple tree, prune 20% every year until you reach its optimal size for maximum health and fruit production. 

How Much Can You Prune Back An Apple Tree Without Killing It?

Over-pruning can kill an apple tree. Removing too many or too much of its branches’ length deprives your tree of essential nutrients and causes undue stress. Often you cannot prune your apple tree using all five options above in a single year. 

Your apple tree responds to over-pruning by vigorously growing back, creating more non-fruiting water sprouts and the same issues you had before. If you have an old, neglected, overgrown apple tree, prune no more than 20% of its canopy in a given year. Gradual pruning will transform your unruly apple tree into a beautiful, healthy, and productive tree in four years. 

Young trees should be pruned very little until they are well-established. At most, prune 10% of the canopy, focusing on dead ends, suckers, and water sprouts. 

When Is The Best Time To Prune Apple Trees? 

Timing is crucial when pruning apple trees and other fruit-producing trees. Winter pruning can be advantageous because there are no leaves on the branches, so you can readily identify wounded and diseased branches and the tree’s structure. Unfortunately, winter pruning can lead to vigorous growth and make your old apple tree’s problems worse, not better. 

Sometimes it is better to prune your apple tree in the early summer, so it doesn’t have the energy to bounce back and grow wildly. Before you decide when to prune your old or young apple tree, contact a local arborist or tree care company and have them provide you with a consultation. 

Every year, carefully and strategically pruning your apple tree prevents it from becoming unruly and overgrown. It also allows you to inspect your tree and address any health issues or damage before they threaten the overall health of your tree. If you notice problems with your apple tree, have a local arborist or tree care specialist look at your apple tree. 

What Is The Correct Way To Prune An Apple Tree?

Now you know what branches to prune and remove from your overgrown apple tree, how much you can prune each year, and when. But what is the correct way to prune an apple tree? 

It is vital to know how to make your cuts safely and correctly, using the right tools, so you don’t damage your apple tree or yourself. Make sure your pruning tools are sharp, clean, and well-made. There are two main types of pruning cuts - thinning out and heading back. 

Thinning Out Cut

A thinning-out cut removes a scaffolding branch from the tree's trunk. If you do this cut incorrectly or with inadequate tools, you can seriously damage the tree, so beware. 

Be careful to remove the branch as close to the trunk as possible without removing the “collar.” The collar looks like a ring around the base of the branch. It contains cells that enable the tree to heal from the cut. So be sure to leave that collar intact. 

Smaller branches can be removed using hand tools like a hand-pruner or lopper. Larger branches require a hand saw. Thick branches need to be cut using a three-step cut to prevent them from breaking or ripping the bark on the tree.

Heading Back Cut

Heading back cuts are used to shorten branches. Before you cut, determine how much you want to cut. You want to make sure that the branch remains solid and stable. Make your cut a reasonable distance from a healthy bud. 

Why Should I Save My Old Apple Tree?

As you prune your old and overgrown apple tree, you will notice an improvement in fruit quality and production. Saving an old apple tree provides opportunities for grafting so you can enjoy a wider variety of apples from a single tree. 

Mature apple trees are homes to birds and other wildlife and play an essential role in conserving our natural environment. Healthy apple trees provide flowers that contain nectar and pollen that birds, butterflies, and bees feed on. For all these reasons, we prioritize preserving and rejuvenating old trees over removing them, and so should you. 

Conclusion

This article focused on pruning and rejuvenating old, overgrown apple trees, but many of the same principles apply to young apple trees and other fruit trees. Contact us to find out more about caring for young fruit trees and other fruit-producing trees and shrubs. Our arborist or fruit tree care specialists are happy to help. 

Pruning your old, unruly apple tree can transform it into a healthy fruit tree that produces better fruit and more of it. Although you know how to correctly prune your apple tree, over-pruning, incorrect pruning, or not pruning at the right time can do more harm than good. We recommend having a licensed arborist from a local professional tree care company take care of your apple tree pruning and maintenance. They have extensive knowledge and experience, so you know your apple tree is in good hands. 

Sound Tree Care LLC is a tree care company serving Seatac and the greater Seattle, Washington, area with superior tree pruning, tree rehabilitation, support systems, and more. With a certified arborist on our team, we can address any concerns you have about your apple tree and provide you with fruit tree pruning services to help your apple tree produce quality fruit and flourish.