When to Prune the Orchard in Northern Climates
September 13, 2011 - Posted in Uncategorized
In the northern part of the United States, pruning apple trees is done at a time of year when most pruning is long since past. The best time to cut back an apple tree in the colder regions is during the dormant growth period of winter. Long after the apple trees have been filled with harvest the branches are ripe for cutting back. This is the prime time for a good cut back of broken branches, trimming the shape of the tree and cutting away any offshoots that have grown vertically like a pointer or a drum stick. These offshoots serve no purpose but to drain needed energy away from healthy growing branches.
When pruned in the winter months during dormancy, an apple tree can start its re-growth fresh in the spring. Pruning of an apple tree is well known to produce a healthier more robust harvest overall. A second smaller pruning can be done in summer to cut off any sprouts which show signs that they will not bear fruit. These sprouts will take away from the overall harvest if not cut back. Many apple tree owners and orchard owners miss this little pruning but it can significantly impact a harvest as any unnecessary growth takes away from the healthy fruit during its growth process.
Sorry, comments for this entry are closed at this time.