Here is a photo

For summer pruning, don't wait until the fruit is picked. That would be too late. Do it in July or August.

I don't think people use that wound sealant any more. I never do...............but wait for confirmation from one of the Fruit Forum Gods!

Actually, it's remove branches that EXCEED one third the diameter of trunk at the point where branch is attached to the trunk. On Honeycrisp you are safe going for 2-1 ratio- trunk to branch, because it wants to fruit, unless you are going for as compact a tree as possible. Same with Braebern, Goldrush, Empire, Arkansas Black and other spurry varieties.

The 2-1 rule is very helpful when pruning secondary and tertiary wood with ratio applied to the scaffold instead of the trunk for secondary wood and so forth. You don't need to use it as a hard rule but as a guide when you need to thin to open trees up. That idea I will take credit for- the trunk to scaffold idea that inspired it came to me from Bas van den Ende

Harvestman, one thing I thought I understood about your 1/3 pruning rule is the idea that scaffold branches themselves are not being removed from the trunk, but once established are essentially permanent. Then the fingers that grow from the scaffolds are the ones on which fruit sets, and which will be periodically removed to allow for fresh growth.

But apparently you actually remove scaffold branches. With what are they replaced? Do new scaffold branches develop from the drunk? Or do you, perhaps, cut the scaffold back to a finger or a bud and get your replacement branch from that?

Thanks for your help.

I don't generally remove scaffold branches of the first tier- they should be permanent, but in a central leader tree with 2 or three tiers, higher branches eventually outgrow lower ones and when they become of too large a diameter to be efficiently fruitful in their space they should be replaced. Merely cutting them back so they don't shade lower scaffolds creates mostly more leaves and wood instead of fruit on oversized branches.

I leave small replacement branches a year or two before removing an oversized branch to take its place so it is a continuous cycling in and out of wood. This is one reason an open center tree is less complicated to maintain but once you understand how to do it neither method is very difficult. The problem is that this cycling seems never to be explained in the literature.

Lower scaffolds would be removed if you deliberately or mistakenly started with a surplus. Some varieties, including Honeycrisp, are reluctant producers of secondary wood, so it may be a logical choice to begin with extra scaffolds. There is no one way and leaving extra branches can also discourage secondary branching.

Thank you! That clarifies a great deal for me. Much appreciated.

Harvestman,

seriously, you should write a book. I know a couple authors you can talk to about the business side of it, if you are interested.

Of course the niche is small enough you won't get rich, but it would be a huge help to the back yard apple growers of America & the world

Thank you for that, and when I retire from managing orchards I may write a book if my brain is still functioning reasonably well. I actually make better money than most garden writers and doing is more fun for me. Meanwhile, my outlet is right here on this forum where I have my fans and my critics, but no one has to pay to read my experienced based opinions.

The pay is more than adequate from other folks on this forum who have taught me quite a bit and have often expressed gratitude for what I've taught them.