Apple Trees

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!

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

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.

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

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!