Cutting back old apple trees

We have some wild apple trees on our property that grew from seed. They do produce tasty fruit, but are plagued with mold and the like. After getting my eyes poked out trying to deal with them, I attacked them with a saw and opened them up underneath and inside. The intent was to let in sunlight, promote ventilation, and make them accessible without risking getting my eyes poked out.

I'm hoping that they do well and don't make me regret hacking them so badly...

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• apples
• pruning
• fruit
• cider

[stephenhayesuk]

Looks about right.

You could thin out the upper branches a bit too (see my recent videos about restoring a neglected city garden orchard) but wise not to overdo it in year one.

This thinning out of overgrown lower branches is a good start and should improve the mold situation by improved flow of air and light through the tree.

'wild' apples grown from a seed are unpredictable, if its good, keep it. If the roots are strong but the fruit is poor, you can graft over to a better variety.