- 1). Check the branches of your apple trees and note any dead, diseased or damaged branches. You'll want to remove these right away by cutting them off at the base. Removing dead or damaged wood is the first place to start no matter what time if year you're pruning, since removing it goes a long way toward keeping your tree healthy.
- 2). Disinfect your pruning tools after removing dead and diseased wood. Remove all wood scraps to a trash bin far from your apple trees, since leaving diseased wood nearby attracts pests.
- 3). Head off most of the vigorous new shoots growing just below old prune cuts, using your small pruners. You'll be able to tell where the tree was cut before by the blunt-edged wood; typically, two to three new shoots grow just below the site of the cut. Removing all but one of the shoots allows the apple tree to direct its energy into the remaining shoot.
- 4). Identify older branches that are not producing fruit and remove these branches. Thin out other branches in the apple tree canopy that are not bearing fruit. Thinning out the canopy improves air circulation through the tree's branches, which promotes fruit ripening and prevents some diseases.
- 5). Prune away vertically growing branches, as well as those that grow downward. For mature trees, prune off any low-growing branches that impede movement under the apple tree.
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