Ornamental apple inspires with abundant blooms and colorful fruits, without annual pruning. A pruning from time to time makes sense for the benefit of a well-formed silhouette and to maintain the willingness to flower. Read this guide to learn when and how to properly cut ornamental apples.
Ornamental apples are ideally cut in February
Topiary after flowering
When it comes to pruning, a crab apple is on par with a real apple tree. If you have any complaints about the shape of the bush or crown, a well-planned topiary restores the well-groomed appearance. A date after the flowering period is primarily considered as an early bloomer, because in late summer buds are created for the next flowering period. How to cut a crab apple into shape:
- Cut back heavily branched skeleton shoots by a third
- Overly long, drooping shoots lead to a side shoot that is further inside
- Remove branches directed towards the inside of the shrub or crown
- Caution: do not clean withered flowers
When cutting, please bear in mind that you reduce the autumnal fruit decoration. The deeper the pruning, the fewer apples adorn the wood. Furthermore, you collide with the specifications in the Federal Nature Conservation Act if the topiary goes beyond this year's growth.
Relief cut in autumn
A crab apple at its best may still require the use of scissors. Under ideal conditions, flocks of apples form. Under the colorful load, the branches lean massively towards the ground and threaten to break. You shouldn't let it get that far.
With a relief cut you solve the problem. To do this, slim down the affected branches to a conveniently positioned, outward-facing side shoot. Place the scissors where the piece of shoot to be removed and the young wood fork.
Thin out and rejuvenate in late winter
Please make a note of a late winter pruning date for your crab apple at intervals of three to four years. The aim of the measure is to clear out dead wood and preventive regeneration. Here’s how to do it professionally:
- Best time is in February
- Thin out dead shoots in the bush at ground level, in the tree on a branch
- Cut off one of the oldest skeleton shoots in the sense of a continuous rejuvenation
- Important: Do not cut shoots with buds or shorten them to the first bud
During the leafless winter period, it is sometimes a difficult undertaking to identify deadwood with certainty. If there are doubts about the condition of a ground or crown shoot, a vitality test provides clarity. Scrape off some of the bark and examine the exposed tissue. Brown dried tissue has died. Light to green color and juicy consistency signal floral life.
tips
A wide variety of varieties has the right ornamental apple for every design wish. Nature lovers choose red-fruited varieties because birds prefer to eat red apples. Yellow-fruited ornamental apples such as Wintergold or Butterball are suitable for long-lasting autumn decorations.