How to prune apple trees | The RHS, by RHS - Royal Horticultural Society on YouTube. 9 min 5 s.
- Video length
- 9 min 5 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 10
What you need
Steps
Prune in winter while the tree is dormant, on a dry day when it is not freezing. Wet or frosty wood cuts badly and spreads disease.
Get your tools ready: sharp bypass secateurs for thin shoots, loppers for branches up to about 3 cm thick, and a pruning saw for anything bigger.
Start with the three Ds: dead, damaged and diseased branches. Cut each one back to clean, healthy wood.
To saw off a branch, cut a notch on the underside first, then saw from the top a little further out. This stops the bark tearing as the branch falls.
Keep branches that are well spaced, grow outward and sit at a wide angle to the trunk. These will carry next year's fruit.
Remove branches that shoot straight up, cross and rub each other, or grow back into the middle of the tree.
Aim for an open goblet shape. Clear the centre of the crown so light and air reach the ripening fruit.
To lower the height, cut back to a lower outward-facing side branch instead of just tipping the top. Hard tipping triggers lots of vigorous upright growth.
Thin out crowded clusters by taking a few older branches out completely at the trunk rather than snipping the tips.
Pick off any shrivelled old fruit still hanging on the tree, since it can harbour pests and disease.
Tips and common mistakes
Take off no more than about a quarter of the canopy in one winter, so the tree is not shocked.
Leave the swollen branch collar in place and avoid flush cuts or long stubs, which heal slowly.
Clean and sharpen your blades before and after pruning to avoid passing disease between trees.
Check the branches for birds' nests before you cut, and wear gloves and glasses when using a saw.
Questions
When is the best time to prune an apple tree?
In winter, while the tree is dormant and has no leaves. Avoid hard frosts, and finish before the buds start swelling in early spring.
Can I prune an apple tree in summer instead?
You can lightly trim in summer to shape the tree or remove diseased shoots. Save the main structural pruning for winter.
What if my apple tree is very overgrown?
Spread the work over two or three winters. Cut out the worst overcrowded and crossing branches first and let the tree recover in between.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
