Fruit trees are pruned not only in autumn or spring, but also in summer. When you prune your apple tree in the summer, you allow the fruit to ripen through sunlight. This will also ensure a good yield the following year.
The two reasons for summer pruning are to improve next year's crop and to improve this year's crop. Take a good look at your tree before picking up the scissors. The shoots grown this year will be quite soft along most of their length; they will also be leafy and vigorous, likely overshadowing any fruit that is present. The fruits will ripen better without shade. As more air and sun reach the fruit, they become larger and sweeter, their color improves, they are easier to pick, and the risk of pests and disease becoming established is reduced (in part because problems can be identified earlier , partly because air and light are healthier than a wetter, darker microclimate created by shade and quieter air).
When should you prune the trees?
The best time for pruning apple trees is the dormant season, that is, from November to March. However, this advice generally applies to regular apple trees that have little or no shaping. Espalier, fan and tiered apple trees have a shape and should therefore be cut again in summer - until around the end of August. In short: the shoots of the current year are ready to be cut when the lower third of each shoot has become woody and firm. Summer apple tree pruning is best done in late summer or early fall, when theFruits have already been picked, so as not to turn them down. This also prevents the fruits and branches from being too exposed to the blazing summer sun, which could be the case if pruned in mid-summer or late spring.
How to prune fruit trees
Make sure you use the best cutting tools for clean cuts that heal quickly. Avoid pruning shears as they can injure the trunks. In this simple step-by-step guide you will learn how to prune your apple tree in summer.
What you need:
secateurs
tree saw
- Step 1: Take a close look at the tree and plan what you want to achieve. First, remove all trunks that absolutely have to go: anything that is dead, diseased or damaged, as well as any strong, upright shoots that grow beyond the top layer of branches.
- Step 2: The shoots formed this year - usually side shoots of the main branches - which are around 18-23 cm long, must be cut back.Cut thesedown to three to four leaves of last year's growth.
- Step 3: Cut the shoots diagonally away from just above the leaf joint. Shorten all side shoots and leave only the uncut shoots that are necessary to extend the main structure of the tree.
- Step 4: If shoots have developed from side shoots cut last year, cut this year's growth back to one leaf.
- Step 5: Cut back the knobby fruit shoots about 10 cm apart. Thinning overcrowded shoots is best done in winter, but can be done now if necessary to allow more sun to fall on the ripening fruit.
Do not prune top-bearing varieties
Top-bearing varieties must not be pruned in summer or you will remove the developing fruit. Summer pruning of apple trees results in less vigorous new growth and maintains the overall size and shape of the trees. When pruning apple trees, it is important to remember that there are two types of trees: runner-forming and tip-forming trees. Each type requires a different cutting method to get the bestto achieve fruit yield.
Prune apple trees in summer depending on fruit set
Old apple trees are mainly stoloniferous varieties that come from the northern hemisphere. The runners are formed on two-year-old wood, which can be preserved for years, but also needs to be renewed by cutting. Many varieties such as Granny Smith, Fuji and Pink Lady are all lace-bearing or partially lace-bearing. Do not prune these trees in the same manner as stoloniferous apples. When pruning top bearers, you must leave side shoots of less than 20 cm or “pencils” growing at the tipsbear fruit. Cut back other branches, leaving buds to form side shoots for next year.
Bring the cut into shape
When pruning your apple tree in the summer, you will need to prune both types of trees back to the shape or style that best suits the location, such as: E.g. vase, leading shoot or trellis. Often this means that you have to prune the tree quite a bit so that it remains compact and easy to pick. Also, ensure open growth so that each branch, tip or sucker has its own place to bear fruit. Be sure to trim back the tree canopy and any vertical growth to allow some light to reach the branches and fruit. But be careful: do not expose the branches and fruits to too much hot sun in summer, as both will burn and cause disease and rot. Instead, leave an even distribution of branches and leaves throughout the tree's crown, preferably on the sides that bear more fruit.
General tips and rules for summer pruning of apple trees
- Trim dead, damaged or diseased wood from the tree.
- Remove crossing branches that may later become dead, damaged or diseased.
- Remove any branches that extend into paths or interfere with other trees or plants.
- Make sure the tree is not too tall to pick the fruit or throw a net over it.
- Consider developing new scaffold branches if there is an unproductive gap in the tree.
- Leave enough leaves on the branches to generate energy for further growth and enough leaves in the tree canopy to protect the branches and fruit from sunburn.
- Thin the tree canopy to allow air to flow to the center of the tree and light to flow to the fruit-bearing branches.
- Cut away unnecessary, vertical or particularly leafy shoots, water shoots and branches.
- Cut off vertical shoots completely or leave only a few buds if new growth is needed in that area.
- Thin out any remaining side shoots so that there is enough space around each runner or fruit tip.
- Thinning the stolons (removing some buds) if they have become overcrowded or old and unproductive.
- Dispose of clippings that show signs of disease by burning or completely submerging them in water until they rot.
- Once you've done all of this, you won't have to worry about whether you did it right!
