The right pruning is very important when caring for apple trees in order to ensure vitality and a rich harvest. Therefore, the tree should be steered in the right direction of growth from a young age.

No question of size

In the case of a fruit tree, regular training pruning is not only a means of curbing the tree crown from becoming too large. Rather, a targeted and correctly carried out pruning promotes the number of apple blossoms and thus also the yield. It is fundamentally important that not all young shoots are cut off, since apple trees prefer to bear fruit on two-year-old branches. In addition, a light and well-ventilated tree crown with a loose structure should be the top priority when shaping the tree.

Cut as soon as you plant

Many hobby gardeners are grateful for every centimeter of growth in young apple trees that a seedling grown from a core, for example, has achieved. A properly performed pruning does not mean a step backwards in the development of an apple tree, but on the contrary stimulates the formation of new shoots. Immediately after planting, a pruning should make it easier for the tree to start growing, until it has reconnected its roots well with the soil at the new location. After pruning, a young apple tree should be watered sufficiently during dry weather periods.

The right technique for good tree development

With the first cuts on a young tree, the basic framework for the later shape of the tree crown is laid. Interventions should therefore be carried out on young trees with particularly careful consideration. When shaping by winter pruning and summer pruning, the following parameters should be in the foreground:

  • the development of a strong central drive
  • the installation of three to four leading branches in a balanced form
  • outward-pointing shoot tips at the interfaces

Clean plant shears or pruning shears should always be used for the cuts to promote proper wound healing and to prevent infection with fungi and other diseases.

tips and tricks

Even in the first few years of a young apple tree in the garden, care should be taken to ensure that a light and open tree crown is the best protection against fungal diseases and other threats to tree health.

Category:

Trees