apple Pruning advice for young Apple trees

[Myatix]

Hi Everyone,

This os my first post so I hope you dont mind me asking such a newbie question…

 

i have planted 2 new Apple trees in our garden. A Bramley and a Braeburn both on MM106 root stock. 
 

I Would really like some advice on creating a beautiful open center tree that will be focal features of the garden.

 

The below images are of the Bramley Apple that we planted last summer and must be at least 3 years old I would guess. I have tried to prune it but I am uncertain if the 3 central branches are too vertical? Ideally the first set of branches needs to be high enough to get a lawn mower under but low enough so we can pick as much fruit as possible on a small ladder.

 

 

Bramley (Hedge is South side and fence west)
 

I plan to mulch under both trees with wood chips soon and remove some of the grass to accelerate growth but any further tips would be appreciated.

 

the next set of images is the Braeburn that was planted a month ago and I hope to keep reasonably small compared to the Bramley. Can anyone give me some tips on pruning this 2 year old apple tree?

 

 

 

Braeburn (Hedge is north side)

All the advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[MattyF]

Root stock would be fine, probably not a bad choice at all , personally now I would not touch them for 4-5 years so they find there feet and develop fruiting spurs.. then work from there. 

[peds]

They look very similar to a bunch of trees I grafted and planted along my laneway that were then pruned by a few horses the neighbouring farmer had wandering around when he was moving them, before I added a bit more protection. It's not ideal, but they seem to be coping well enough. 

As MattyF suggests, I'm going to ignore them for a couple of years and take it from there.

[Dan Maynard]

If you like YouTube these videos are old but I still haven't seen anyone explaining apple pruning step by step better than this guy. This video starts with a careful look at the different buds on different age wood, which is one of the first things to understand - I see so many trees where people 'clean up' all the sprouts every year.

 

https://youtu.be/Q_jqgWXlUHM?si=arof4ay7cbI98VBv

[sime42]

Thanks for that. It looks like a great source of useful knowledge. Also, the guy seems to do videos on lots of other stuff, not just fruit tree pruning. Nice.

[Myatix]

On 04/04/2024 at 11:51, Stere said:

MM106 is a larger rootstock for a space thats looks maybe  abit  small or only just big enough from the photos so trees will grow big fairly  rapidly.

 

See the height scale 5m

 

 

 

I like the larger root stocks as trees normally  seem more robust & healthy & better roots anchoring mean they don't  keel over easily like the smaller ones

 

As peasgood said shouldn't of cut the tips off  as ideally you want them as the framwork for the tree like in pics.

 

"Open goblet" struture is what is recommended now they will branch but that can be fixed so no worry just dont cut the tips off again etc.

Just an update on my Bramley Apple that I have potentially ruined… 😫

The tree has not grown very much at all this growing season. In fact it seems to be dying back on some of the branches… (see images below)

 

 

I am considering planting a new tree now and was wondering if I could get some advice from the professionals.

 

Will it ever be a pretty tree?

Is it planted to close to the Braeburn Apple tree?

what rootstock should I buy?

 

We want the trees to block the view of the neighbouring houses roofs.

 

i am thinking perhaps a M116 or M26 on the vigorous bramley seedling tree?

 

Hope someone can help???

[Stere]

Thats  alot of  canker on such young trees esp bramley as normally thay are fairly hardy against it.

 

 

 

 

All the canker needs prunning  off but  now is not the best time to be  creating so many new wounds over winter....should of being done in summer.

 

 

 

 

If that doesn't work maybe a new apple tree or consider a tree of of another species

 

 

Also soil drainage is important apple trees really dislike  winter waterlogging of soil.  .If the soil isn't right, there is alot higher chance  the canker will to reoccur even if you got  a new apple trees esp if planting in the same location

 

 

 

 

https://www.rhs.org.uk/disease/bacterial-canker

 

 

[Dan Maynard]

I'd give it another year and see, the slowest growing and worst stress time for the tree is first few years after planting and some of those summers were very hot and dry so the trees have survived the worst bit.

[Peasgood]

Bramley is a vigorous variety and will make a big tree, mine are on M106 and they can either be monsters out of control at 15m height or they can be managed through pruning at a height where all fruit can be picked from the ground by hand.

They are very good at shooting straight up but give them a year or two and the weight of fruit bring those branches back down again. You have to be brave because if you trim those branches earlier you will make them remain upright.

M26 may be an easier to control tree but I am grafting onto M25 for specimen trees. Have to say so far my M106 are far more vigorous than the M25, not sure what is going on there.

Your tree is pretty fecked with all that canker, cut it off and deal with whatever happens next. It might die, it might flourish. Good luck

[Steven P]

On 13/10/2024 at 12:09, Stere said:

Also soil drainage is important apple trees really dislike  winter waterlogging of soil.  .If the soil isn't right, there is alot higher chance  the canker will to reoccur even if you got  a new apple trees esp if planting in the same location

 

Is the house a fairly new build - looking at the photos I am guessing that but might be wrong. Occasionally the builders - usually being conscientious and all that - by mistake scrape off all the top top soil to leave a nice flat garden - scrapped right back to the clay underneath and next to no drainage? Just a thought you might want to consider some organic matter around them to improve that a touch. If you decide to replace the tree then perhaps spend some time improving the soil organically and drainage if my guess is right.

 

Having said that, as above those top 3 or 4 branches might be on the way out? leaving you with just the 2 limbs lower down? It probably isn't going to be a pretty tree... but if you want a tree that is purely for looks than get a plastic one...

 

Looks an OK distance away from the other tree - mine in the front are about 5m apart and both fruit well.

[Myatix]

Thanks for all the great advice! I think I am going to plant a new tree! As you said the 3 main branches are dying back. So the entire structure of the tree has been ruined by my lack of knowledge of pruning.

I should probably mention I live in Denmark! The soil is a loam soil perhaps slightly on the clay side. So the soil should be fine. The smaller Braeburn Apple seems to be thriving in roughly the same position so I am wondering if it is due to my over pruning. I have also been watering the tree for 5 minutes with a hose once a week during the summer. Perhaps too much???

Would an M26 root stock need staking with a Bramley?

it’s very difficult to buy M106 in Denmark most trees are M116 or M7 neither of which feel right. Ideally I would like to end up with a 3-4 m tree once fully grown