Fruitwise guide to pruning apple trees-spur thinning

Further advice on apple tree winter pruning from Fruitwise Heritage Apples. Inevitably there is some repetition and overlap between these tutorials, no matter. I also apologise for having a sniffly nose-sorry, but it is cold! Here I look at thinning overcrowded fruit spurs, more of a problem on some varieties than others. You need to remove excess old spur systems to allow air and light into the tree and make room for new systems to develop. remember, above all, keep th etree in BALANCE between new growth, fruit bud production and ripening and fruit production each year, always thinking about last year (always a lesson to be learned from what went well and what didn't) next year, and the year after that. I learned a lot from books, but I made that knowledge real through what the trees taught me.

All honest critisism and alternative advice is wecome.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• apple
• tree
• prune
• pruning
• fruit
• spur
• thinning
• Durley
• Hampshire
• Fruitwise

[johnnyg03]

When viewing a spur system before pruning, I assume it would be most wise to prune the spurs angled downwards?

[stephenhayesuk]

Correct as a rule, the lower spurs will bear fruit wthat will be shaded so I genberaly remoVe them first. Obviously if there was a bare-looking piece of branch and a lower spur or 2 was lall there was in that part of the tree, you could sensibly leave them. Most mature apple trees will overproduce too many small fruit if left alone (see my fruit thinning videos) so as you need to remove some spurs you may as well start with the ones on the lower part of the branches.

[drfellll]

Stephen, I've visit many topics. Viewed many info's, but you take the cake! While i was glued to the wealth of knowledge you have on the apple trees, straining for the wind noise in portions of your videos. What i mean is, your a one of a kind! You not only have the knowledge and ability, but you truly create learning. Your an irreplaceable teacher professor. Mine trees were prown to be 30 feet tall in a year, so i used much of your insight. Chopped them more artisically how you described.

[daddygreenjeens]

thank you for your post - Mt Sterling OH

[johnnyg03]

Thank you for your response. Your videos are very helpful for young fruit tree enthusiasts. I am sure I will have more questions in the future. Thanks again.