Basically, apple trees are reliable fruit suppliers in the private garden, which are not overly susceptible to diseases and fungal infections if they are not too dense. An old apple tree can be pruned to give it fresh impetus.

Bring neglected apple trees back into shape

Apple trees are often neglected in gardens and not pruned properly for years. Certain old varieties sometimes survive this better than newer breeds. However, a neglected apple tree can still bear little fruit or become susceptible to wind damage and disease. With a carefully dosed pruning, the growth of new shoots can also be stimulated in old apple trees.

Courage for drastic changes

Even with older apple trees, you should not be too timid when pruning. So don't be afraid to completely remove thicker branches and impractical parts of the treetop. However, older trees need appropriate wound care on tree wounds with a larger cross-section. There are suitable means for wound closure in specialist shops that protect tree wounds from the penetration of pathogens and fungi. At the same time, however, it should also be noted that all changes to the tree crown of an old apple tree also change the attack surfaces for wind and weather. For this reason, you should secure or, if necessary, remove branches that are in danger of breaking off, especially in the vicinity of buildings.

Do not overtax the health of the tree

In principle, winter pruning is also a tried and tested means of rejuvenation for older apple trees. However, you should make sure that the day of the winter pruning, especially in the case of trees that are no longer very vital, does not have temperatures that are too frosty below zero. Old trees and trees whose vitality has been weakened often react particularly sensitively to winter cold, drought and fungal infestation. Basically, any pruning of old apple trees can serve the following purposes:

  • the regeneration of the tree crown
  • the formation of new fruit-bearing shoots
  • the control of fungal infestation and diseases

tips and tricks

If you want to severely prune an old apple tree due to a poor yield, you can also use the pruning to copulate new scions on an old apple rootstock.

Category:

Trees