Tuesday, September 18, 2012

When To Prune Apple Trees?

Pruning the apple tree is extremely important, if you want it to have a strong framework and want it to yield a lot of fruits. Although the best time to do it is around October and December, you can also prune it during the summer season. I will explain the effects of summer and winter pruning below.

So, when to prune apple trees?

Summer season is the period, when they produce fruits. So, if you trim the tree around this period, it will transfer most of the tree's dynamisms into enhancing the current fruit crop. This will help you to get more apples from your tree.

Winter pruning involves kind of cleaning process. Basically, after the fruiting season, you simply get rid of the branches that grow awkwardly, for instance branches that grow crisscross. Also, you must get rid of the branches that are drying. So, winter pruning helps you to prepare your tree for the next fruiting season with healthier branches.

Quick Steps To Pruning Your Apple Tree

First, you need to remove suckers. These are the small branches that grow at the base of you tree trunk. By removing the suckers, you will allow your tree to grow in good shape.
Second, you need to get rid of any branches that are dry or diseased. The diseased or dry branches can spread to whole tree, if they are not removed.

Third, cut off the crossed branches. By getting rid of the crossed branches, you will give your tree a vase shape and this will help the air circulation between branches. The air circulation will prevent the tree to catch airborne diseases.

I hope you find this article about when to prune your apple tree helpful. You can find more information about growing apple trees at GrowFruitsAtHome.com.

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