Pruning advice please

[Julietuesday]

My Apple tree has produced a good batch of apples this year, but has been disappointing with its blossom.  Any advice?   Could someone mark on where to prune it.   It’s never been pruned and rather ugly as it is

 

many thanks  

[tree-fancier123]

buy a secondhand book on pruning e.g ebay

[nepia]

I second that; that RHS book is comprehensive yet easy to understand with loads of pics and diagrams

[sime42]

Thirded. I have that book too. 

[Steven P]

As above that book is rated I don't have it but it is worth a read.

 

I assume you want to prune the tree to be a more appealing shape... though my ugly apple tree gives a good crop, the apples will taste the same whichever way.

 

- Use sharp clean tools for the job, secateurs will be OK I reckon... sharp ones.

- I tend to think about any cuts so that any water will run off (i.e. not horizontal)

- The most you can really cut off a fruit tree any year is about 30%... about 1/3 though the next year it will grow a lot of new shoots to compensate. 10% to 20% off is better to prune for its shape

- First cuts - look for any dead branches and remove them

- Then remove any branches that cross each other touching (only need to do one of them) bearing in mind the shape you want for what you remove

- Then look at the tree, you want a reasonably open structure inside it - airflow and light. Any branches that cross from one side to the other consider if you want to keep them

- However you should be able to order the book from a library to read (for the youth... Library, a kind of store full of books you can borrow... Book... like a PDF but IRL...). Books are better - you can take them out to the tree with you and refer to it as you go

[Stere]

Stake looks like it needs removing and  &  having slate round trees isn't a good idea in general imo.

 

If you  really want to max out the crop remove the  slate add a mulch  round base and through pruning or pegging them  down try and get  the  branches spaced out & make them more horizontal or at least 45 degrees as your tree looks to have a lot of vertical branches which tends to fruit less.

 

Poor blossom but  a good crop kind of sounds odd to me as to get a good crop you need good blossom.

 

Also what compatible pollination partner apple trees are growing nearby  may also affect  fruiting.

 

 

On a side note that staking pic in  the RHS book   isn't best practice imo better to do like in the photo below. I think if a stake is attached lower down a trunk as trees develop roots better with some trunk movement is its beneficial imo for root growth . My rule of thumb is attach a stake no higher than 2/3 up a trunk from ground to crown base often lower,

 

RHS book pic looks too high and restrictive and not ideal also staking diagonally avoids the root ball.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also the  rootstock type combined with apple variety with govern overall tree  max size/vigor and  its growth habit and how to approach on any  pruning.   From the picture looks to be on  fairly  vigorous root stock size hence the  growth..