Myth: All apple trees need pruning.
Myth Buster:
Pruning isn’t a tree haircut. Pruning does damage, so there must be a reason to do it. Some likely reasons are tree health, tree size, fruit size, ease of harvest, increase resilience or improved appearance.
Pruning reduces the tree’s total leaf surface reducing its production. If you are processing your apples to cider, sauce, or rings your harvest will be greater by weight if you don’t prune.
Myth: Newly planted apple trees need pruning.
Myth Buster:
Trees supplied by quality nurseries are pruned before sale. Remove only damaged branches, they need all their leaf area to help establishment. Start pruning after it reaches fruit-bearing size but before it is large. The perfect tree has an open canopy allowing light and wind in.
Myth: Heritage apple trees must be pruned.
Myth Busting:
Reclaiming a heritage apple tree is to clean up dead or broken branches. I prune alternate years about 30 per cent maximum over four pruning cycles. This is to remove bear damage. OMAFRA suggests 20 per cent every year. Heavy pruning will increase disease risk and delay fruit ripening.
Myth: Prune during the dormant season.
Myth Busting:
Dormant season pruning can reduce disease and insect problems. However, it can cause winter dieback and a high level of non-fruiting water spouts. (Thin branches that go straight up and don’t produce fruit.) The amount of tree injury is directly related to the length of time between the pruning operation and the temperature drop, the shorter the time, the greater the injury. Prune after leaf fall or in early spring before bud break.
Pruning has the greatest dwarfing effect in June or early July.