Training and pruning apple treesT.R. Roper

Apples are the most commonfruit tree planted in Wisconsin.

In addition to providing fruit, appletrees can be a pleasing addition tothe home landscape. However,unlike most shade trees, apple treesrequire annual training and pruningfrom the time of planting to producean attractive and productive tree.

Proper training and pruning arealso a valuable part of an effective

pest management program.Pruning to open up the canopyimproves air flow, reducing somedisease problems. An open canopyalso allows better access for manag-ing insect pests.

Training and pruning cannot com-pensate entirely for poor horticul-tural factors such as poorly matchedscions (the above-ground portion ofthe tree) and rootstocks. For exam-

ple, if a strong spur-type scion,which produces little vegetativegrowth, is grafted to a dwarfingrootstock, the resulting tree will“runt out.” That is, it will producelittle new growth and small fruit,regardless of how it is pruned. Onthe other hand, a vigorous scion ona standard or semi-dwarf rootstockplanted in a fertile soil will becomea large, unmanageable tree that can-not be pruned into submission.

Pruning vs. training

Many people rely on pruningonly to shape apple trees.

While pruning offers many bene-fits, it limits the grower’s optionsto removing branches only. Often,the remaining branches aren’t in anideal position for maximum fruitproduction. Training, by contrast,allows the grower to shape the treethrough branch positioning andpruning. Well-trained trees producemore fruit of higher quality thanthose that have not been trained.

Training begins when a tree isplanted and continues throughoutthe life of the tree. Training a treeproperly during its first few yearscan save many hours of difficult,corrective pruning as the tree ages.

Limb positioning is importantbecause it determines whether thebranch will produce primarily fruitor vegetation (figure 1). Whenbranches grow straight up, theyproduce mostly vegetative growthand very little fruit. By contrast,branches that grow straight outfrom the tree are very fruitful, butproduce little new vegetativegrowth. The ideal limb position is

about 30° above horizontal, creatinga 60° crotch angle. This allows max-imum fruit production while stillpromoting growth of new wood forfuture fruiting. In addition, brancheshaving a wide angle between thelimb and the trunk, the crotch angle,are stronger than upright brancheswith narrow crotches (figure 2).Branches are most easily positionedwhen they are only 3–6 inches longwith very soft wood.

Pruning should be used to open“windows” to allow light to pene-trate throughout the tree. When allof the leaves are exposed to morelight, the tree is able to producehigher quality fruit. However, becareful not to remove too manybranches, as pruning can stimulateexcess regrowth. When a portion ofa branch is removed, the treeresponds by producing new growth.Often three or four branches willgrow where only one grew before,resulting in a “grow and cut” cycle.While excess regrowth can be mini-mized through proper cuts and bycutting into older wood where pos-sible, it cannot be entirely avoided.

Figure 1: The effect of limb position onvegetative growth and fruit production.

Adapted from Oberhofer, H. 1990. Pruningthe Slender Spindle. BC Ministry of Agri-culture and Fisheries, Victoria, BC Canada

Figure 2: Branches with wide crotch anglesare stronger than those with narrow angles.

A1959

60˚

30˚

best position

strong weak

annualgrowth

Spreading This technique usesobjects such as toothpicks, clothes-pins, or short sticks to push branchestowards a horizontal position. Forvery young trees or for young succu-lent growth in older trees roundwooden toothpicks or spring-typeclothespins work well (figure 3).Insert spreaders in mid- to late June,when young branches are 3–6 incheslong. If using toothpicks, gently pushthem into the soft bark of the limband trunk to hold them in place. Forclothespins, place the gripping endon the trunk and push the open sideagainst the small limb to force ittowards horizontal.

For older trees and branches, you canuse wooden, metal, or plastic spread-ers to push branches into position.Wooden spreaders (figure 4) can bemade or purchased in any lengthneeded. To make a wooden spreader,notch the ends or, for larger stock,drive small nails into each end of thespreader then cut off the heads of thenails using heavy pliers to create asharp surface that will hold in thetender bark.

Tying Many techniques andnumerous materials can be used totie branches. Tie the branch in placeusing twine, string, fiberglass tape,long rubber bands, or other material(figure 5). Take care to not tie mater-ial tightly around branches. Tyingcan also be used to support weakbranches that are unable to supportthe weight of developing fruit. Blackelectrical tape or fiberglass tape canbe wrapped a couple of times arounda branch and then pulled up or downand fastened to the trunk or stake tothe correct position. Long rubberbands can be used for training fruittrees. Rubber bands rot away after afew weeks so it is not necessary toremove them. The best time to userubber bands is in late June whenyoung branches are at least 8 incheslong. If used before this period, theymay damage the branches or rotbefore enough wood has formed tohold the branch in place.

Weighting Weights can be usedto pull limbs into place (figure 6).Any heavy material can serve as aweight. You can make your ownweights by filling paper cups withconcrete and placing a hoop of wireinto the wet cement. Then use aclothespin to clip the weight to thebranch. You can vary the weights byusing larger or smaller cups or byfilling the cups with differentamounts of cement. An alternative isto attach stones to clothespins usingconstruction adhesive.

The position of the limb is adjustedby the location of the weight on thelimb. You may need to experimentwith placement to position the limbcorrectly. Placing the weight fartheraway from the trunk pulls the limbdown more, but it also creates morearc. Avoid placing the weight so farfrom the trunk that the branch bendsdown in an arc; too much bend maymean the crotch angle is narrowerthan you’d intended. Weights pro-vide a constant pull, so be sure toexamine them periodically andadjust them when needed to main-tain the correct position.

Figure 4: Wooden spreader. Figure 5: Various methods of tying andweighting.

Figure 6: Positioning weight on branch.

Figure 3: Toothpick and clothespinspreaders.

Limb positioning techniques

too close to trunk

just right

too far from trunk

string

rubber band

weight

60˚

Timing forlimb positioningThe best time to position youngerbranches is in June or when they are3–6 inches long. Positioning olderbranches is less time dependent. Mostgrowers position branches when theydormant prune, others position limbs inlate spring to early summer. Limbspositioned towards horizontal in springto very early summer will initiateflower buds for the following year, notthe current year. Weak branches thatare hanging from the weight of fruitshould be tied up as early as possible.

30–4

5 in

ches

The objective in training a young treeis to develop a structure that will

provide a strong framework to supportfruit production. The top of the treeshould be smaller and narrower than thebottom of the tree. This shape preventsthe top of the tree from shading the bot-tom of the tree. The central leader system(illustrated above) produces a verticalcentral leader or main stem and strong,properly spaced scaffold limbs. This sys-tem is easy to prune and provides opti-mum production potential.

Over the years, you will train two tothree tiers of scaffold branches. Thesebranches will form the central frame-work of the tree and should grow at awide angle from the leader.

At planting If you plant anunbranched whip tree, cut off the topleaving the tree 30–45 inches tall. Sidebranches will grow from the whip thefirst year. New branches will grow justbelow this cut. You control the location(height) of the new limbs by the height ofthe cut. If you’ve purchased branchedtrees, remove only limbs that are broken,damaged, poorly positioned, or that aretoo low on the trunk.

Year 1 During the first summer,choose four or five good branches for thelowest tier of scaffolds. The lowest scaf-fold limb should be at least 24 inchesabove ground and can be as high as 36inches in a landscape where flowers orbushes under the trees are desired.Limbs growing closer to the groundmake it difficult to work around the tree.Select well-spaced branches growingwithin about 18 inches of the lowestbranch that are growing neither exactlyopposite nor directly above one another.For the first dormant pruning in latespring, remove weak or poorly positionedlimbs that will not become scaffolds.

Training young trees

first tier

graft should be2–3 inches above soil line

Years 2–3 After two or three years,select a second tier of scaffold limbs.Again, choose or create branches withwide crotch angles. The lowest branch ofthe second tier should be at least 24inches above the top branch of the lowertier. This 24-inch gap allows light to pen-etrate into the canopy and to strike thelower tier of branches. The upperbranches must be kept shorter than thelower branches to keep them from beingshaded. This will create a “Christmastree” shape. For dwarf trees, two tierswill be sufficient; for semi-dwarf trees,repeat the process to create a third set ofscaffolds near the top of the tree.

Yearly maintenance The centralleader must remain the tallest part of thetree. The highest point in the tree is dom-inant and most vigorous. If a side branchis becoming nearly as tall as theleader, bend it lower (seelimb positioning) orprune it back into 2-year-old or olderwood.

Once the centralleader reaches theheight you want(usually 8–10 feethigh for dwarf or12–16 feet high forsemi-dwarf) you canadjust the vigor in one of twoways. Take the top, supple part of theleader, bend it in an arc and tie it to thesupport post or the stronger part of the

tree. As new branches begin to grow onthe arc, remove the ties and allow theleader to return to the vertical position.Alternatively, cut off the leader justabove a weak side branch. Both tech-

niques reduce the vigor of the top ofthe central leader. To maintain

the tree height, follow one ofthese techniques every year

for the life of the tree.

Remove all dead and bro-ken branches annually, aswell as suckers, water

sprouts, and branchesforming narrow angles. By

the fifth year, trees should bewell established with two tiers

of scaffolds. Spurs should be devel-oping throughout the tree to provideannual fruiting.

second tier

third tier

To prune efficiently, follow these steps:

Cut off water sprouts growing on the trunk and scaffold limbs. Occasionally, a water sprout may be left tofill in an open area.

Remove broken and diseased branches.

Remove the weakest of crossing or closely growing parallel limbs.

Remove all limbs or spurs growing downwards.

If the tree needs more branch thinning, remove weak, spindly branches first. Remove dense or long growthfrom the upper portions of the tree which shade lower limbs. Limbs growing within arm’s reach are easierto harvest and spray.

Remember these tips when pruning:

Light is required for quality fruit.

Prune during the dormant period, late winter or early spring. March and April are best.

Use tools made specifically for pruning and keep them sharp and clean.

Make all cuts smooth and close. Leave the collar but not a stub (except for branch renewal).

On cultivars that bear heaviest on alternate years, do heavy pruning just before the bearing season.

The objective of pruning bearingtrees is to maintain maximum

production of high-quality fruit on acontinuing basis. Properly trainedtrees require little pruning but muststill be pruned annually. Limit prun-ing of bearing apple trees to removalof weak, unproductive branches toimprove light penetration and distri-bution, reduce tree height, andimprove spray coverage.

As trees grow older, you may need tomake more thinning cuts. Don’t letthe upper branches grow longer thanthe lower branches. Long upperbranches shade lower branches andreduce productivity. If necessary,prune upper branches into 2-year-oldor older wood to keep them shorterthan lower branches. Thin out weak,unproductive branches, and keep thetree “open” for good light penetra-tion. In the top of the tree, branchescan be cut back to the trunk leaving ashort stub (about 1 ⁄2 inch long) on the

bottom of the cut (figure 7). A newbranch will often grow from the baseof the stub.

If an older tree is too tall for conve-nient spraying and harvesting, moredrastic steps must be taken. To lowerthe height of a tree, completelyremove one or two of the tallestgrowing limbs. Make the cut wherethe limb joins the trunk. When youprune drastically, you must greatlyreduce other pruning in the tree thatyear. Over-pruning will stimulate too

much growth and lower fruit produc-tion. Spread out extensive renovationpruning over 2–3 years.

Trees that have not been managed orpruned for several years are generallynot reclaimable. The large cuts thatare required to allow light and airinto the canopy will produce muchvegetative vigor that will requireeven more pruning, creating a viciouscycle. You will be better off to removethe old trees and replace them withyoung trees on dwarfing rootstocks.

Figure 7: Pruning to promotenew growth.

1⁄2-inch stub

Pruning procedure

Pruning bearing trees

new growth

Related publicationsFor more information on apple trees, contact your countyExtension office for the following publications.

Growing Apples in Wisconsin (A3565)

Apple Cultivars for Wisconsin (A2105)

Apple Pest Management for Home Gardeners (A2179)

Rootstocks for Fruit Trees in Wisconsin (A3561)

Copyright © 2005 by the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System doing business as the division ofCooperative Extension of the University of Wisconsin-Extension. Send inquiries about copyright permission to: Manager,Cooperative Extension Publishing, 432 N. Lake St., Rm. 103, Madison, WI 53706.

Author: T.R. Roper is professor of horticulture, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Wisconsin-Extension, Cooperative Extension. Produced by Cooperative Extension Publishing.

University of Wisconsin-Extension, Cooperative Extension, in cooperation with the U.S. Department ofAgriculture and Wisconsin counties, publishes this information to further the purpose of the May 8 and June 30, 1914 Actsof Congress; and provides equal opportunities and affirmative action in employment and programming. If you need thismaterial in an alternative format, contact the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity Programs or call CooperativeExtension Publishing at 608-262-2655.

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Training and Pruning Apple Trees (A1959) SR-05-2005-(R4/97)-1M