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Pruning cooking apple tree

George_andthedragonGeorge_andthedragon Posts: 2
in Problem solving
Hello, just moved into a house with two old cooking apples, had loads of tasty fruit in the autumn.  But how should I prune it?  Looks like it has been left for three years or so after a hard prune.  I plan to clear all the tiny branches internally that cross, but  how far back should I cut the strong new growth?

Thanks!

George.w 

Posts

  • treehugger80treehugger80 Posts: 1,923
    first take out any diseased,dead or crossing branches.
    then go have cup of tea, this will stop you from cutting too much off in one go.
    then you can reduce the number of thin branches by a quarter (as in take out 1 in 4 branches) this will open the tree up a bit.
    then go and have a sit down and prune more next year.
    its easy to cut stuff off a tree, rather difficult to stick it back on.
  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    I concur absolutely with the advice above. Hard pruning in winter will just produce a lot of thin whippy growth, and so called water shoots. Prune for structure in the winter, and for fruit in the late summer. But as said before, go slow do it over several years.
    AB Still learning

  • George_andthedragonGeorge_andthedragon Posts: 2
    Great thanks, I'll take it slowly! 
  • Fran IOMFran IOM Posts: 2,872
    Welcome to the forum @George_andthedragon. Hope you are pleased with the good advice given within 15 minutes. Just wanted to say I had to smile when reading your first few words as I thought you were describing the people you had moved in with..  :)
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