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(I hope I'm not wearing out my welcome here). I've been reading about pruning neglected apple trees- and believe me it would be hard to be more neglected than mine are. Just looking at them, I think, short of getting in a cherry picker, I'm going to have trouble reaching the top, even with my long handles loppers. Does anyone have any ideas?
And I'd never noticed before, but the larger one doesn't half lean to the right- that is the south west. It's not VERY windy, so is that just a sunlight thing?
When thou seest an eagle, thou seest a portion of genius; lift up thy head!
Hmm, tricky! Iy might be worth getting in a professional to help? Interesting point about the 'lean' - could be searching for sunlight as there seem to be other trees close by?
I doubt if it is possible to wear out your welcome in this forum - everyone is very chatty!
Make the boy interested in natural history if you can; it is better than games [Robert Falcon Scott]
Hello.I think your best bet would be to get professional help. As for the way the larger tree is leaning, this is to do with positioning of the sunlight. Any plant will naturally grow in such a way that maximises photosynthesis. So if a tree is situated in such a way that it only gets sunlight at one particular time of the day, it will naturally lean in the direction of the sun.
Paul
Warning! This post contains atrocious spelling, and terrible grammar. Approach with extreme edginess.
Have you got a pruning saw or small bow saw?
We have a large apple tree in our garden and it isn't always easy to keep on top of the pruning so I light prune it every year then every 4-5 years I give it a real good chop!
It may feel a bit drastic and frigtening at the time, but you can see on the picture where it has been pruned back to before and that is where you want to get it back to, think 'wine glass' shape, if you look at the picture you should be able to see what I mean. I also notice a couple of (branch size) side shoots out of the bottom of one which look like they could do with removing.
Be bold, you may well get less apples for a season but it will be better in the long run.
"Feed the birds, tuppence a bag" Mary Poppins
Thanks guys. I have a couple of good sections of books on "pruning a neglected apple tree". I'm prepared to be ruthless. I guess I'm slightly bothered by the idea that, if I bring them back to the last major pruning lines (I have a pruning saw as well as my big lopper), the new growth will just be higher up still. Will that happen, do you know?
I never really thought of trees following the sun, although I knew, of course, about house plants. And I'd never really noticed it before.
You need to be really mean and cut this tree right back so that you have the main trunk and a nice open framework of short sturdy branches no more than 1-2 ft in length.
Next year it will grow masses of thin shoots from these branches and the following winter you should prune all these at least to about 2ft or less.
Only prune in the coldest mid- winter weather, don't be tempted to start while its so mild still.
I wasn't sure I had the nerve for this, but....It was -4 here this morning. My apple trees have no branches left. Photo to follow.
And I did the gean for good measure.
Hi we Pruned our very Old Apple Tree September 2008 & it didnt Blossom/Friut this yr!! But its put on lots of New Fresh Growth so im sure itl Blossom/Fruit 2010
Jacque
To make it easier to pick you could cut those main branches back by half this winder.The shoots will emerge closer to the trunk and you will get a more 'balanced' appearance to the tree.
We cut most of the fresh shoots off our trees leaving just a framework of branches and seem to get blossom every year and tonnes of fruit.
Good luck!
Petrirosso, I was pretty happy with the shape of the apple trees.Do you think they need to be further cut back or were you referring to the gean?(wild cherry)
Yes it was a dark photo but I can see now the left tree is a cherry!