How to prune an old apple tree: diagram

Almost every gardener in the garden has a couple of old apple trees. They have already begun to give a poor harvest and, naturally, the question arose about the expediency of their existence in the garden. But do not rush to cut down such trees, because they can still regain their second youth. To do this, carry out appropriate pruning of old apple trees. But rejuvenating trees with pruning is very accurate and correct, in compliance with all regulations. Otherwise, you can get a completely different result than planned.

Anti-aging pruning rules

To achieve the desired result, some gardeners recommend rejuvenating pruning slowly. In this case, the tree will be able to most effectively restore its fruiting functions within three years.

Rejuvenating pruning of old apple trees is very important for the tree itself, as it allows it to extend its fruiting period and, as a result, its lifespan. But how to prune an old apple tree correctly? In order to properly prune an old or neglected apple tree, certain rules must be followed. You can also preview a video on the relevant topic online.

Rules to follow at the beginning of the anti-aging pruning of an old apple tree:

• first you need to make sure that the old tree is healthy and its skeletal branches are strong (you should not waste your energy on pruning diseased and rotten trees, since rejuvenating pruning is unlikely to help here);
• trees should be rejuvenated only during dormancy (meaning before the start of the sap flow period in spring). During this period of time, the entire crown of the apple tree is also perfectly visible, so this is the most suitable moment for pruning branches;
• prepare in advance all the necessary tools: saw, pruner and stepladder;
• it is necessary to start rejuvenating the apple tree from cuttings of the largest branches;
• all dried branches are removed, cutting them off at the very trunk. This will help thin out the crown of the tree;
• cut off all broken, improperly growing and woven branches;
• the basic pruning rule for rejuvenating an apple tree is that it is better to remove a few large branches than many small ones;
• it is necessary to rejuvenate trees by removing branches that grow inside the crown and thereby interfere with the growth of young shoots;
• pruning of adult old trees is best done in the fall;
• for thinning the crown, bare and diseased branches are cut.

So, at the initial stage of pruning an adult old apple tree, we thinned the crown and got rid of all the extra branches that only pulled nutrients from the tree, worsening the yield, or preventing the growth of young and strong, fruitful branches. A video showing the process of initial pruning of old fruit trees can be found on the Internet.

Then, you should proceed to the final and final stage of pruning adult trees, which consists in opening the center of the crown. At this stage, certain rules must also be observed.

Rules for the final phase of anti-aging pruning:

• cut off the top of the trunk in the center of the crown at a height of about 3,5 meters;
• you need to cut off only that part that prevents young, strengthened shoots from growing and reaching for the sun. In order to carry out this process correctly and not harm the tree, you can first watch several videos where the specialist will tell and show everything in detail;
• you can also rejuvenate by cutting branches and knots that are placed above the young branches;
• tops that have been preserved from previous cuts are also cut off. However, not all tops need to be removed. It is necessary to leave them about a dozen pieces, and evenly throughout the tree. Only those tops are left that grow up and out, as well as at an angle. This is necessary, because young and new fruit-bearing branches will be formed from such tops in the future, which can be clearly seen in the video.

For neglected tall old and adult apple trees, it is recommended to follow slightly different rules.

Rules for pruning tall old and mature neglected apple trees:

• to rejuvenate a tall tree is necessary to reduce its height by about one third. This process is shown in the diagram;

• simultaneously with the shortening of the height, the most thickened areas should also be thinned out;
• branches that have already lost their ability to grow are removed;
• all branches are cut at an angle of 45 degrees;
• at a time within one year, without negative consequences, you can remove only a couple of large branches, the thickness of which is about 10 cm;
• small branches, the thickness of which does not exceed a pencil, as well as branches of medium thickness (about 4 cm) must be cut under the kidney;
• overgrowing of sections occurs better when they are up to 2 cm thick;
• they also carry out rejuvenation by cutting, which make for a strong increase. Remove up to three branches that have grown over the previous year;
• young sprouted shoots are left for pruning next year;
• the rest of the shoots should be cut to a side branch or side bud so that they grow vertically;
• knots are also removed;
• lateral semi-skeletal and skeletal branches, cut according to the above scheme;
• it is necessary to leave subordination – this is an option when a group of branches or lower branches do not overtake the upper ones in height, but rather lag behind them by about 1/3 (in the diagram under the letter A).

Tall and neglected apple trees are characterized by the presence of a bare center due to limited access to light. By thinning the crown, you will achieve better illumination of deep areas, which will cause the growth of new branches. It will also stimulate the laying of flower buds on strong and young branches. And this, in turn, will lead to an improvement in the quality and quantity of the crop.

In addition to the above rules, there are general rules for pruning fruit trees.

General tree pruning rules:

• trees should not be started;
• pruning must be done annually;
• crown formation is carried out only at the right moment for this;
• when pruning, make sure that the central part of the tree crown is well lit;
• use only high-quality tools;
• be sure to remove all diseased branches;
• remove vertically growing branches.

If the anti-aging pruning was carried out in compliance with all the rules, then in the future it will be enough just to thin out the crown.

But if after trimming the result is not immediately visible, then do not despair. After all, pruning for a tree in any case is stressful and at first there may be a decrease in the formation of fruit buds. Therefore, a slight delay in the restoration of the fruitful function of the tree for a couple of years is quite normal.

How to prune old apple trees

There are several ways or methods of pruning old and neglected apple trees. At the same time, there are both pluses and minuses for almost every method of rejuvenating pruning of an old apple tree.

Methods for pruning old apple trees:

• some gardeners recommend reducing the size of the tree by three or five times at a time (for tall trees, up to 12 meters high, when pruning in this way, you can immediately remove up to 4 meters). But such a sharp pruning can lead to severe freezing of the apple tree, even with not very severe winters. And this can lead to various diseases of the tree and its imminent death;
• a more gentle way is the gradual pruning of the apple tree every 2-3 years. This is a classic option that is described in all books on gardening (and this method is most often demonstrated on videos on the Internet). When carrying out such pruning, all branches of the crown are shortened by no more than two meters at a time. But this method is characterized by a fairly noticeable decrease in the volume of yield, as well as a slow decrease in the size of the tree. It will take more than five years to increase fruiting;
• another way, more modern, is the phased anti-aging pruning of old or neglected fruit trees. This method is based on biological laws and contributes to the balance of the processes of fruiting and growth without a characteristic sharp violation in the correlations of the root and aboveground systems. 

A modern way to prune an old apple tree:

• strong pruning is carried out with shortening on the south side up to half of the total volume of the tree crown;
• the trimmed part of the crown should be no higher than 3 m high and about 2 m wide;
• the rest of the crown should be left;
• you need to trim the crown before bud break (helps preserve nutrients);
• we must try to make as few cuts as possible;
• the edges of the cuts should be cleaned with a sharp garden knife;
• all sections with a diameter of more than 2 cm must be covered with garden pitch (but in no case with paint);
• thick sections (more than 5 cm in diameter) after putty should be immediately wrapped with black plastic wrap. This will lead to faster wound healing. The film is removed in early September so that the sections harden before wintering;
• strong top shoots should be left along the entire trimmed crown at a distance of about 70 cm from each other, and the rest are removed when they reach a height of about 10 cm;
• in the future, the trimmed half of the crown is formed annually according to the same scheme.

After the fruiting of the cut half of the crown is normalized, the procedure is repeated for the other part of the crown.

This method of rejuvenating crown pruning is carried out simultaneously with the rejuvenation of the roots. It is necessary in early spring, from the side of the cropped crown, to dig a trench (depth up to 70 cm, length up to 4 cm) and chop off all the roots.

There are also the following trimming methods:

• shortening or trimming. The removal of the upper part of the branches of the shoots and fruits is carried out. Pruning is weak, medium and strong (depending on the length of the cut part);
• thinning or cutting. The method consists in removing branches, shoots and fruits completely on the ring. This method protects the crown of the tree from excessive density, and also improves the light and air conditions of the crown. 

Shortening and thinning are shown in the following diagram.

Video “Methods for pruning apple trees”

Cropping methods can also be found in the video.

Features of pruning running apple trees

When pruning running apple trees, there are certain nuances that distinguish this process from other pruning options.

Features of pruning neglected and old apple trees:

• it is best to start rejuvenation at the beginning of spring or at the end of winter;
• such trees require annual pruning;
• it is necessary to constantly produce not only rejuvenating, but also regulating pruning, both in spring and autumn. This method will only contribute to the maximum growth of healthy and young branches, and will also help clear the crown of old branches and small shoots that prevent sunlight from entering the crown;
• in the case of a fruitful year, it is necessary to reduce the number of planted fruit buds. This method will help prevent significant depletion of the tree, as well as make it possible to obtain larger and tastier fruits.
• in case of a lean year, the number of buds that are laid for the next year should be reduced;
• when pruning diseased branches, it is necessary to disinfect the working tool each time before each subsequent pruning of the branch;
• cut diseased branches must be removed from the tree and burned to avoid infection of healthy branches;
• if the apple tree has not been dealt with for a long time, then in the first year only damaged and diseased branches are removed.

Carrying out the correct rejuvenating pruning, in compliance with all the rules and features, will help restore your aged apple tree to its former level of productivity, as well as extend its life. Such pruning can save the tree itself and save you from the need to cut down and the cost of planting a new one.