Overgrown apples - summer pruning?

17 years ago

We bought this house with 7 apple trees. None of them are dwarfs. One is about 40' high, I'd say.

It has been a big mess to deal with all the fallen apples, and last year I learned we could cut back 1/4th a year until they got to reasonable size. We were going to do this in winter, but were unable to do that.

Today I was looking for any solutions to the apple mess. (We were thinking about putting plastic on the ground to at least be able to pick them up.) And I discovered the term summer pruning, and have learned that this will do what we want--REDUCE new growth. The apples taste great, can well, make applesauce to die for... We really want to learn how to manage them. So, now I am ready to prune in the next few weeks, instead of January.

I'm writing for ideas, warnings, etc. before I go out there. Also what kind of saw is best?

Thanks, laurel

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Comments (5)

applenut_gw
17 years ago
Laurel:

Egads, 40' high? You're almost in the realm where you need a tree service, unless you like getting knocked off a ladder. As far as a saw, sounds like a chainsaw on the end of a pole is what you'll need.

Winter pruning will just stimulate more growth, just what you're trying to avoid. I'd cut at least 1/3 off the top, and if you get a flush of new growth, trim that off again before winter. It will take a few years, but if you prune in the summer, you will know those big ol' trees down to size.

Applenut
jellyman
17 years ago
Laurel:

Summer pruning is definately the way to go. Most of my apple trees (33 of them) are on semi-dwarf rootstocks, but the more vigorous varieties would be out of control if I dormant pruned every season. Ideal size for an apple tree is under 15 feet tall, so you can reach the top from an orchard ladder for thinning and pruning, and also reach the entire tree should it be necessary to spray for insects or diseases.

Standard trees of the size you apparently have are a little different ballgame, and you may never be able to get them down to the ideal size, but you can still make a lot of progress. I begin summer pruning in about mid-July, and continue right into September. When there is regrowth, it very frequently produces fruiting spurs which makes the tree more productive for its size. This year I am getting some regrowth in spite of a very dry summer, and some of the new sites are blooming due to the stress. Stress on an apple tree is normally a good thing, that increases its productivity, and I expect all those new blossom spurs to rebloom again next spring.

Without being able to see your trees, it is a little hard to say what you will need, but I get by nicely even with hardwood limbs of 4-5 inches using a Corona Razor Tooth Saw. These are usually sold at bigbox stores like Lowes and Home Despot. They cut very quickly and stay sharp a long time, but cannot be resharpened practically, so I get a new one about every 3 years. Price is around $20. The motorized models are fast, but more complicated and a little more dangerous to use, as well are requiring gas, oil, and all that comes with a motorized tool.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA
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waxwing7771
16 years ago
This question is not meant to sound Smart A**, but how do you prune in summer when your apples are still on the tree and won't ripen for several months? I have about 20 apple trees and have always pruned in late winter. I also admire Don Yellman's answers on this forum which is why I'm exploring possible summer pruning. I still hate to prune off my nice apples which is what would happen with summer pruning.
jellyman
16 years ago
waxwing:

That is a very reasonable question, and one that all of us summer pruners face. There is no satifactory answer. The best you can do is to try to cut off new growth without fruit, or sacrifice some fruit if there are limbs you really want to reduce.

I have already begun some pruning on my trees, and also have a very heavy fruit set on many of them. Many of the apples have been painstakingly thinned and bagged, and I hate to cut them off. So I try to work around them, leaving the branches with good fruit while removing dense interior growth and longer fruitless growth. It takes more care when there are apples on the trees, and sometimes I make mistakes and cut off a branch with one or more good apples.

I have found that pruning at this time of year also helps the apples on the trees to size up and color better by removing succulent shading growth. On some of the larger trees, I actually began pruning off top growth when I thinned them in June.

After the apples are all down, I will have another go at them, and do the final shaping for next season.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA