Pruning apple trees in winter

Anyone who grows apple trees knows that caring for fruit trees includes annual pruning. This procedure allows you to properly form the crown, regulate plant growth and increase yields. You can do pruning in early spring or late autumn, but experienced gardeners, professionals in their field know that pruning apple trees in winter is the best option. Further, in the section we will talk about why it is in winter that fruit trees should be cut and how to do it correctly.

Why prune apple trees

Young seedlings and already fully grown apple trees in the garden must be pruned annually, because:

1. Proper pruning allows you to rationally distribute nutrients throughout the shrub, increasing crop yields.
2. A dense crown prevents the penetration of sunlight, which contributes to the development of diseases, rotting of fruits, and the reproduction of parasites.
3. Removing dry and damaged branches contributes to the improvement of the apple tree.
4. The unformed crown is too spreading, its thin verks are not able to withstand the load from the fruits.  

In the first years after planting, young apple trees need to be cut most carefully, since at this time there is an active growth of vegetative organs, and the tree grows an excessively dense crown, which will subsequently be quite difficult to form. If pruning in the early stages of cultivation is neglected, then the crop can only be harvested for the first few years, in the future, the fruiting of the tree will significantly decrease or stop altogether. Mature trees also need to be pruned annually in order to improve their health and increase productivity.

Why is it better to prune an apple tree in winter

Pruning even the smallest branch is stressful for the tree, so it is recommended to carry it out during the so-called sleep period, when the movement of juice in the body of the apple tree is stopped. The slowdown of plant life cycles occurs in late autumn. Fruit trees awaken in early spring, as indicated by the appearance of buds. Many gardeners, focusing on the change of seasons, try to prune apple trees either in autumn or spring, without thinking that the optimal time for pruning comes in winter.

Pruning apple trees in winter is preferable because:

• In winter, apple trees are in a state of stable dormancy, and the likelihood of harm to them is reduced to a minimum.
• Branches without foliage are clearly visible and it is possible to objectively assess the dimensions of the plant, determine the need for shortening or removing certain branches.
• In winter, there is a low activity of parasites and bacteria that can settle on a fresh saw cut of wood.
• From mid-winter to spring, enough time passes for the cuts to heal safely.
• Low temperatures in winter act as an anesthetic, reducing stress for the apple tree.
• In winter, the gardener has enough time to do the best job.
• Apple trees pruned in the middle of winter wake up in the spring without stunting.

Thus, it is winter pruning that allows the most qualitative formation of the crown of fruit trees, causing the least suffering to them. However, it is worth remembering that there are restrictions for this event: you can cut and shorten the branches only at a temperature not lower than -15⁰C. Temperatures below this limit make plants brittle, and even with the utmost care, there is a chance of breaking a healthy, desirable branch or damaging the fragile bark. At the same time, it is worth noting that winter pruning of apple trees of late varieties is always tolerated without problems, varieties of medium and early fruit ripening are slightly more sensitive.

Trimming methods and rules

Pruning an apple tree depends on the age, height and varietal characteristics of the plant. We will try to deal in detail with each of these factors separately.

Pruning according to the age of the apple tree

The diagram below shows some general principles for the formation of the crown of apple trees depending on age:

It is necessary to form young apple trees in compliance with the following rules:

• The first 4-5 years, you need to form the crown of the apple tree in such a way as to leave 6-8 skeletal branches.
• In the lower tier, only the longest and strongest branches should be left.
• The higher the tier, the shorter the branches should be on it. This will maximize the “open” plant.
• It is necessary to remove branches that grow down and horizontally to the side. Parallel arrangement of branches should also be avoided.

Thus, it is in the first years of cultivation that one should try to correctly form the skeleton of an apple tree. In this case, further pruning of branches will not be too difficult. It will consist only in thinning and healing the tree.

Do not forget about the old apple trees in the garden. First of all, sanitary pruning is necessary for adult fruit trees. It involves the removal of diseased, broken or damaged branches. For sanitary pruning, the winter season is excellent, when there is no movement of juice in the body of the plant.

Care for adult apple trees also consists in shortening thin shoots and thick old branches. You can shorten the shoots with secateurs. For thick branches, a hacksaw is suitable. You need to cut the branches correctly, without leaving stumps, since the cambium on them drags on rather slowly, as a result of which the stumps dry out and become a breeding ground for pests and bacteria.

In order not to damage the plant, it is recommended to first make an incision on the bottom of the branch, and then cut off the entire branch from above. In this case, the branch, under the force of its own gravity, will break without tearing off the bark on the trunk.

Pruning apple trees depending on varietal characteristics

In addition to the age factor, the plant variety also affects the method and intensity of pruning. Some apple trees independently regulate the formation of shoots, and in this case only diseased branches have to be removed. In most hybrid apple trees, at the gene level, breeders have such a feature of self-regulation.

Pruning apple trees is necessary not only to increase the yield, decorate the garden or improve the health of plants, but also in order to make it convenient to pick fruits. So, some apple trees without pruning can reach a height of 8 m. That is why the height of crown formation depends on the variety, type of rootstock: on vigorous rootstocks, it is customary to leave a crown 3-5 m high. If the stock is medium tall, then the height of the crown should not exceed 4 m. varieties and hybrids are grown only up to 2-2,5 m.  

Schemes for the formation of apple trees

It is necessary to form the crown of all fruit trees in such a way that the sun’s rays illuminate each branch as much as possible. You can do this arbitrarily, focusing only on the above rules or adhering to a certain scheme. So, at least 4 different schemes for the formation of the crown of apple trees are proposed for gardeners:

Pruning tiered-discharged

This method of forming apple trees involves the creation of tiers. Each lower tier should be as open as possible. It is necessary to adhere to the principles of such formation from the first years of cultivation:

1. In the first year, you need to outline several main lower branches at a height of 50-60 cm from the trunk. All greens above 80-90 cm from the trunk must be removed.
2. In the second year, 2 oppositely directed strong branches should be left in the lower tier. The second tier should be planned 15 cm above the lower one so that its branches do not obscure the lower shoots.
3. In the third year of cultivation, attention should be paid to already existing skeletal branches. They need to be cut at a distance of 50 cm from the trunk. This year, it is additionally necessary to lay the branches of the third tier.
4. In the fourth year, it is necessary to form the upper, final tier, consisting of one branch.
5. In all subsequent years, the existing crown shape must be maintained by removing thin shoots.

The method of tiered-discharged pruning is preferable for apple trees. It is most often found in nature and allows you to grow good quality fruits in large volumes.

Spindle pattern

The meaning of this scheme is that each upstream branch on the trunk of an apple tree should be shifted a few degrees relative to the lower branch. At the same time, 3-4 branches are allowed to be left on the lower branches, only 1-2 branches are left on the branches located in the middle of the trunk, and all side shoots are removed on the upper branches. I start laying the lower branches at a height of 50-70 cm from the root collar.

As a result of this formation, a very decorative shape of the tree is obtained. If you lift all the branches up, then the shape of the plant will resemble a spindle. This feature gave this method its name. The advantage of the method, in addition to high decorativeness, is the convenience of picking apples.

cupped formation

This method of forming apple trees is similar to a tiered-discharged scheme. The only difference is that in the first year of cultivation, 3-4 skeletal branches are left and they are bent 70-80 degrees from the trunk. Such a forced deformation allows you to make the same frame for the bowl. The branches of the upper tiers can also be slightly bent back to give a decorative tree shape. The formation of an apple tree in the shape of a bowl is well demonstrated in the photo below.

vertical palmette

This scheme is used only for undersized apple trees with fragile branches. For such trees, a support is vital, which can be made in the form of horizontally stretched strings along a fence or a wall of a house or barn. The distance between the horizontal strings (supports) should be 40-45 cm. For an undersized apple tree, it is enough to install 3-4 such strings and one vertical support near the tree trunk.

Using this formation scheme, it is convenient to cut the branches in winter, however, it is impossible to tie up skeletal shoots in severe frost. In this case, there is a high probability of breakage of fragile shoots.

Some important tips

Forming an apple tree correctly is quite difficult. This requires skills, knowledge and skills. For novice gardeners, it is important to adhere to some general rules that will improve the health of the plant and increase yields:

• Strong lateral shoots in winter are recommended to be cut by 4-6 buds.
• Pruning weak shoots by 2-3 buds activates their growth.
• Branches growing down or at a very sharp angle to the trunk must be cut off.
• Diseased branches must be removed completely to prevent the spread of the disease.
• When pruning, do not leave stumps.
• For pruning apple trees, you need to use only a sharp and disinfected tool.
• The temperature in winter at the time of pruning and for several days after the event should not fall below -15⁰C.
• As few wounds as possible should be left on the apple tree, and therefore it is sometimes better to remove one large branch than several side shoots on it.
• Wounds on an apple tree need to be treated with garden pitch or paint.

All rules are clearly demonstrated in the video:

Surely the advice of a professional will help the novice gardener to carefully and competently cut the apple tree in winter.

Separately, you can get acquainted with the most common mistakes when pruning apple trees in the following video:

Thus, the winter season is both the most gentle and at the same time dangerous time for pruning apple trees. Winter frosts stop the process of the movement of juices and introduce the plant into a state of sleep, “anesthesia”. The danger lies in the fragility of the bark and wood. The slightest awkward movement can damage the plant. That is why it is necessary to get to work with caution and patience. Do not rush, because each new cut is a wound for the tree. Try to be a careful and responsible “surgeon” in this situation, and then everything will surely turn out “perfectly well”.