Help with pruning

Hi,

Can anyone offer some pruning advice for this apple tree for winter? It’s a pretty weird shape right now.

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The simplest and quickest way to get a tree into productivity is to remove every branch more than a third the diameter of the trunk (half with spurry, precocious varieties like Goldrush and Braeburn) and leave everything else until the tree comes into bearing. You need to choose a central leader and if it’s needed, as it appears it may be with your tree, keep it straight with a piece of conduit or some kind of post, even a thin, straight sapling from the woods.

Worry about the permanent scaffolds later.

Here’s a more detailed explanation. Pruning Guides

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Gotcha, thanks. I thought I didn’t have to have a central leader?

I don’t believe you have enough room between the house and sidewalk to do an open center tree. Central Leader is likely your best way to go.

My approach is to start with a central leader whether the tree will eventually be an open center or not. The idea with free standing trees is to get to bearing crops ASAP and then when it’s putting energy in fruit production you can choose whatever permanent scaffolds you want by gradually eliminating the competition.

However, there isn’t one way only to do this. This is just the easiest and one of the quickest.

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And the rootstock is?

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