Pink Lady Apple Pruning Advice

I’m new here, and also new to fruit growing and pruning.

I’d like some pointers regarding pruning my apple tree and would like you tell me if I’m headed in the right direction. I planted 3 feet Pink Lady Apple back in Spring of 2019 and it is on EMLA-111 rootstock, which is 2/3 the size of an actual apple tree based on my reading.

I’ve been planning grafting the tree since I do not have any other tree in my backyard, so I recently ordered two varieties of scionwood (Centennial Sweet Crab Apple & Alkmene Apple). Now, I really got into thinking about pruning/shaping the tree because of the graft. As I learned more and more about the shaping of young tree, I’m not so sure about how to go about the graft since I’m late to the party. Anyhow, I’ve watched multiple vidoes on JSacadura youtube channel on pruning and shaping young trees.

Short story, I never shaped my tree from the beginning and now it stands 8 feet tall with vertical lanky growth. I’m leaning towards pruning it before grafting it now. Am I headed in the right direction to skip graft this year (2021 Spring)?

Here’s the picture of pruning strategy to keep only wood shown with green lines to allow for building scaffolding branching for next year and remove everything else.

Pink Lady Apple:

Basically, I’m thinking of keeping the two main V trunks growth right about 3 to 4 feet height. My two main questions/concerns are:

  1. Is the pruning methodology and plan correct?
  2. Would grafting a good idea, maybe, with a different pruning approach? (I’m told to graft at least 4 of each variety, that would be like 8 graft and remove a couple weak ones in the future as they take off).

Thank you all in advance for your help.

It is hard to tell you what to prune using the picture. If you are trying to create a open center tree, sometimes you have to cut out some big branches. I am attaching some pictures of apple trees, I pruned lately. You will notches I cut some large branches out the center. I will also be grafting them this spring. It might be necessary to spread the limbs, apart after you get done pruning.

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Oh Boy. This sounds familiar. I will never buy a tree again and be afraid to lop it off at a low point to start new. I have a ‘sky scraper’ Ashmeads Kernel because of that fear.
Glad you are able to catch yours early. I wasted some time - having to cut scaffold branches back now. And am interested in the same answers/questions you asked.

I also like JScadura. :blush:

Pom

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image
Three typical apple pruning options.
Your tree is close the the fence so I would try for the central leader.

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How do you get from ‘open center’ to ‘modified central leader’? Let an upward branch develop - and go from there?

It all seems so simple - until I’m standing next to the tree for an hour, deciding which branches to take off.

Sometimes I ask my husband for help - but eventually he leaves me standing there - because it takes so long for me to decide which branch I need him to take off! :rofl:

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@reno Thanks for your reply with nice photos. After studying some various videos and understanding of 3 main shaping strategy that posted by @danzeb, I realize I’m working with an apple tree that is more leaning towards open center.

If you notice in my tree, the V shape is starting out from the main trunk, and since, I didn’t take off early on, meaning from the planting time onwards, the V branches are now pretty thick and didn’t want to hurt the tree too much to extend its growing time. Without any pruning, all my branches are very centered and closed together. The ones that I can possibly keep with good distance between them across (like a goblet shape), these would be the “water sprouts” branches or lower or side sucker branches, which I do not like to keep them as scaffolding branches.

In the pictures of your trees, all your branches are far apart since you head off the main trunk, however, in my case it is too late. Thus, I feel I should take off everything except the V shape and then come spring it will shoot new branches and then I can decide which one to keep to form the shape and prune for further development. Maybe, I can keep one side branch starting from side of the trunk like in your first two pics.

Another strategy and close-up shot:

@danzen - that’s a very good point and it crossed my mind. The tree trunk is strong 4 ft. from the fence of each side. However, if I go with any center leader I would have to sacrifice too much; that’s my fear.

I think Reno gave you some good tips. I had some very negative experience when I first bought my property with crabapple! So you may want to think twice before bringing it in. Mine were so invasive it took me about five years to weed out all the young seedlings that sprang up from this variety, so I would never want to repeat that.
You did not mention solar orientation. But it’s worth keeping in mind to assure that each branch is least shaded by the fence being so close.
Ultimately getting sunlight into the canopy can be a big benefit to reducing pest. So I favor the open center.
Dennis

@DennisD Thanks - Never thought of invasiveness. However, I’m in a subdivision with limited room, so I hope, invasiveness shouldn’t be an issue if I keep a good eye. I’m in USDA Zone 8a and my tree is on NE corner of the property and gets full east/west sun throughout the day. The Centennial Crabs are a good edible type.

Dont leave that big “V” at the bottom of your tree. You can already see where the ridge has formed between the two big branches, meaning you have a bark inclusion. That is going to be a weak spot in years to come and eventually the tree could split in that “V”.

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@TurkeyCreekTrees - Well, that’s a good point! You must be a college professor; just kidding. I just googled and saw a video on the University of Florida website about this topic. Hmm… what the heck? I know it is not a perfect world. I guess, it would be many years for something like this to happen, and I maybe not be on this property in future who knows!

Considering the valid point you made - I would have to chop everything, decide on a single trunk, and head it off for new branches to sprout and develop. That would set me back two years at least before I can successfully graft something and get some fruits.

I will evaluate the tree again tomorrow and decide whether I want to wait another two years to get fruits or I’m happy with having the bark inclusion with the possibility of breakage. I guess, if this tree can last for 10 years by having “V” trunk and I can get fruits from this tree for 8 years, my apple fever would be satiated by then, hopefully. In the meanwhile, I can start another one and shape it better and take this one out. Thank you all for your responses and they were all very helpful. I’ll try to update this post with results of my labor.

Old post, sorry

That ‘V’ rule is a good place to start, when looking at a tree that needs a lot of ‘re-training’. Once you eliminate one leg of the ‘V’ - it makes it a lot easier to see what to do with most of the rest! At least that is how it seems to me. It was a ‘light bulb’ moment for me while reading this conversation. Thanks.

@PomGranny I’m glad it helped you, and also, I’m more educated on this topic. Better start pruning early to get the right shape, or else, be like me having to do heavy pruning after two years which sets me back 1 plus year, esp. when I’ve already planned on grafting. Once I get my cuttings in Feb, I’ll see if I can use the pruned branches to set my graft without causing a clutter. Only time will tell :slight_smile:

@Lynx - I noticed that ‘JScadura’ always goes with a vase shape - open center apple tree pruning system. He has some gnarly old trees there! Not pretty - but very reachable and the fruit gets a lot of light. That appeals to me, because I don’t want to have to deal with height, if I don’t have to.

I didn’t realize, when I planted my first apple tree - that open center was ‘ok’ to use for an apple or pear. I thought that Central Leader - or Modified Central was ‘gospel’. Then someone here on the forum told me that Open Center / Vase was just fine - but I was already in the same predicament as you - with your lanky, competing leaders - and your ‘V’. And some of my trees have a sort of ‘combo’. I’ll post a pic of my Ashmead’s Kernel - and see if anyone has a better idea - or some sage advice. We started pruning last weekend. Will be at it for a few weeks.

Now - I am not shy about going for the initial set up for an open vase. That is so much easier to understand and ‘see’, for me.

I cut off my first major limb with a pruning saw last weekend. Felt like ‘Paul Bunyan’! LOL Until then, I had never graduated past my ‘loppers’. :muscle:t2: I have a small Sawzall, and tried that - but the hand saw produced a cleaner cut.

Live and Learn. Pruning/Training never fails to be an Adventure!

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I have a similar question. We planted a crabapple in March2022. Now (2 years later), the tree is pencil thin and 7 feet high. It has a V-shape and originally I was planning (next month) to leave the V-shape and simply lop off the tops at about 4 feet. BUT a neighbor suggested that I totally eliminate the right competing branch, and then lop off the left branch at about five feet. Any suggestions? Photos attached.


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I agree with the neighbor.

Love the training system on the crab!

Earlier in this thread there was discussion about what to do to change the shape a tree that had developed a natural V shape. Some commercial orchards are transitioning to this bi-axis shaped fruiting wall system with pear and apple orchards.

Compared to a single spindle two axes tend to reduce vigor. Like the spindle system bi-axis systems generally have high early yield and uniform light exposure. This system doubles the axes without doubling the tree cost.


Advantages to the Bi-Axis System for WA 38 include:

  • Good fruit coloring. “We like systems [for WA 38] which expose the fruit to the light,” Dr. Musacchi explains. This system has a thinner canopy which is beneficial for this variety like most bi-color varieties which need to color.
  • Ability to mechanically prune and harvest. Thin fruiting walls will be critical for mechanical harvest. Long branches tend to be sucked into the harvest mechanism damaging the fruit. “It is really important we take into account mechanical harvest as we build our next orchards,” Auvil explains.

Above quotes from:

https://treefruit.wsu.edu/web-article/wa38-horticulture/

Unless you let the tree grow up to its natural height it will eventually be a “modified central leader”. I don’t think the term is used for fruit trees much, we invariably hold them at a particular height and therefore top them.

If one chooses to grow a tree as a central leader, co-dominants must be either removed or pruned into subservience, requiring spring and summer pruning of branches needing to be held back and brought to a subserviant ratio- not more than half the diameter of the trunk where it’s attached to it.

You can grow an open center starting with equal sized branches oversized in diameter, but be careful of inverted bark where branch meets trunk- it could lead to splitting off at first crop load.

As crazy as that tree is with all its equal or nearly equal scaffold branches- that is, branches emanating from the trunk, it is not necessary to choose permanent branches immediately, but it would probably be best to just bite the bulled and start over with one strong upright removing everything else except any branches less than half the diameter of the trunk where it joins it. If your selected leader has any side branches to graft to, you could try those, but you are rushing the matter and I think you should wait another season or two before adding varieties to it.

If you chose to leave every branch or most of them and simply waited for the tree to come into bearing before making decisions, you would be likely be unable to use any grafted branches beyond the one you selected as your permanent leader, although I can’t say I’m speaking from direct experience.

If you want, go to guides and read the article I’ve posted there- Pruning by Numbers. If you are skillful at extracting info from text, you may find it useful. Generations after mine tend to be very visual and often prefer getting complicated info from videos.

Incidentally the tree is already poorly structured with a split at the base creating a kind of double tree. You need to choose one side of the other to dominate.

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