Fruitwise guide to apple tree pruning-the Bramley, part 2

sorry about the wind noise. In part 2 of this tutorial I prune a Bramley apple tree using saw and secateurs. Listen for our neighbour's cockerel crowing in the background! See pruning the Bramley part 1 or go to http://www.fruitwise.net for notes on this particular apple, often planted, not often pruned correctly.

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• fruitwise
• apple
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• pruning
• bramley
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• silky
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[ProfKSE]

Stephen, please view my video response to your Silky saw.... a really sharp saw I am sure, but it doesn't touch mine.

:-)

As always, You are the Doctor of the Orchard!

- Kent

[stephenhayesuk]

@ProfKSE Astounding!

[Frankenpalin]

Do you ever use those branches for grafting ?

Great videos by the way

[stephenhayesuk]

@Frankenpalin

Thanks

Do I use this wood for grafting? Yes, but not if pruning early in the season, e.g. November. I leave selected straight growths of last year's wood and cut them later, say February. The wood will live better on the tree than in my fridge, although 'pencils' of scion wood for grafting do need to be cut when still fully dormant, then stored cool and moist until grafted in early Spring.

[docmjn]

Ekkar, just planted 100 7/8" stock apple trees of varying varieties. It's spring but the weather is very warm earlier than usual. Since they are new trees, do I do any pruning now? or just let them be for the first year of growth. If I do need to prune, do I do it now? It seems on your video that you're pruning in early spring when the weather hasn't yet warmed up.

[stephenhayesuk]

@docmjn if they're small and healthy. best to let them grow for the first year.

I prune betweeen November and March. Its not that critical when you do it between leaf fall and bud burst, I have a lot to do and this isn't my main job so I start early and work through the winter.

If you have winter pruning you haven't yet done, you can do it now, but there's a lot to be said for leaving young trees unpruned the first year. if in doubt, prune less, not more.

[tankarian1987]

do you speak english?

[79Testo]

Is the trunk black at the base of the tree?

[Koss12100]

I must say that Stephen does not have an idea how properly prune Bramley apple tree.

You can prune for wood, you can prune for fruit. However, Stephen invented new way. He prunes for long sticks.

[Frankenpalin]

@stephenhayesuk I see, I was looking at the date and I thought it might be too early in the year to be cutting for grafting.

I noticed you said you're in Hampshire, me Mum grew up in Southampton and I still have relatives scattered about there, mostly in Swanwick.

[cjacustomwoodworking]

Very helpful. Hope to take out some unwieldy branches on my flowering crab trees. They need to be balanced better, this video helps a lot.

[docmjn]

@stephenhayesuk Thanks for the advice Stephen. I'll give them a year of growth and acclimation before pruning. Your expertise is greatly appreciated.