Neglected apple trees

[rkinsella]

Hi folks,

I need to show some neglected apple trees some over due TLC.
They have been starved of light and growing into each other for years.

Last year, I had a number of overgrown evergreen tree that where smothering them removed. Opening them back up to the light - I said I would feed them (treated chicken manure) and leave them alone in the light before doing anything else. So I have left them alone for roughly a year at this point.

Well this year I had a bumper crop of apples ... so clearly I did the right thing.
Although one of them at the rear is still struggling (no apples).

So they are probably over due a prune by twenty years at this point, but I haven't done this before. What I should be aiming to do here ... how 'aggressive' should I be?

Ray K

 

[endecotp]

Like all pruning, start by removing anything that's dead, diseased, or rubbing.
I take it these are not trained trees, i.e. they are "standards" or "half standards". In that case, next prune "moderately" with the aim of restoring symetry and an open-centered structure.
Then before next winter, try to work out if the tree is a "tip bearer" or a "spur bearer", and read up on what you should do in each case.