Hello! Ive got new apple and apricot trees (planted this spring) and I had questions about pruning. Ive read that pruning any time other than late winter was a no-no. Should I prune the new suckers at the base of my apple tree this time of year? Im in Fort Worth.
Also, my apricot tree is a little wonky. It has two main branches going up that make a “Y”. I thought I could bend them down to keep the branches low, but Im thinking Im going to chop them significantly this coming late winter instead and encourage new shoots to grow from the the main branches. What would you do? Thank you!
Apple
Apricot
I shouldn’t generalize about things going on in your area, but it can be quite OK to prune any time of year. You’re not going to confuse the tree or kill it. It’s always OK to remove dead and diseased wood, for example.
But before you get too into pruning figure out what structure you want the tree to have. A lot of people prune apples to a modified central leader and apricots to an open center or vase. But either can be done either way.
And you can -should- remove those root suckers anytime you see them. On the other questions, once you decide on a basic form you can query again on the details.
Good luck and have fun.
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Summer pinching differs from spring pruning. Pruning of large limbs is best done when the tree is dormant. But if you don’t prune all summer, your trees will get messy. It’s helpful to prune new growth through the summer so that the trees direct their energy into limbs that are growing in a good direction and will be retained. It’s always good to wait for dry weather before pruning to reduce the risk of infection.
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Thank you!
For the apricot and apple, Id prefer to keep them closer to the ground for harvesting. Seems like open vase is the way to go. Can you do that for apple trees?
I will remove the rope from the apricot tree and cut those long limbs in the winter. Also prune the suckers on the apple.
Im a little worried about this apple tree with the central limb cut. Doesnt look good to me, but Im not really sure. Seems like the dark area is spreading down a ways, but thats probably normal? What do you think? Is there anything I can do for it?
