Your Classic Apple Orchard

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

Cut trees off 30 to 36 inches from the ground, just above a bud. If the tree has branches, remove any that are less than 18 inches off the ground. Any strong branches above this height that rise from the trunk at a wide angle and in desired positions may be left on, but cut them back by half. Cut off all branches rising at a narrow angle—less than 45°—since these will develop into structurally weak branches, likely to split under a heavy crop load and very susceptible to winter injury. Don't worry if you're left with few or no side branches—buds on the trunk will grow i nto side branches that you can train to wider angles.

Training a young apple tree should result in a good bearing framework. Many different training systems can achieve this, but the one most commonly used is the central leader system. Whatever training system you follow, spread the scaffold branches with clothespins or wooden strips notched at both ends, or hang weights on the branches to pull them down. Spreading or weighting the branches causes them to diverge from the trunk at a wider angle, which makes them more winterhardy and better able to bear heavy fruit loads without breaking.

Prune as little as possible while trees are young, only enough to achieve the desired tree structure, since excessive pruning will delay fruiting. Most cuts should remove just the tips of branches, to induce secondary branches to grow. Competing or upright branches must be removed at their bases, but some of the latter can be saved if they are spread.

Prune twice each year: in early spring to shape the tree and encourage new growth, and in early- to midsummer to channel that growth in desired directions. As our trees fill their allotted space, we keep them in bounds by doing most pruning in mid-to late summer, simply by repeatedly hand-pinching the tips off new shoots. The later in the growing season you prune, the less regrowth will occur. Never prune later than two months before your first expected fall frost, though, as that would delay tree hardening for winter and lead to increased cold damage.

Cut out any dead or diseased wood as soon as you see it, no matter the time of year. Remove root suckers to help prevent fire blight—preferably in summer, because winter pruning only stimulates sucker regrowth.

FERTILIZING AND IRRIGATING

A few weeks after planting, we apply composted horse manure-obtained by the truckload from a nearby mushroom factory—in a three-foot-diameter circle around each tree, to a depth of three or four inches, keeping it several inches away from the trunk. Any other high-nitrogen compost would also provide essential nutrients and help control early-season weeds. A couple of months later, in early summer, we apply four to six inches of a low-nitrogen mulch, such as straw, to conserve soil moisture and control late-season weeds without inducing the trees to grow vigorously too late in the season.

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print