Apple tree pruning question

[jonahjonah]

Hello fruit aficionados,

Our new plot has an apple tree. I tried searching an apple database based on the appearance of the fruit and thought it might be a Sunrise. In any case, there are only a few fruits left on the shady side of the tree at this point. There were loads of fruitlets but not a huge crop. It had a huge bramble or few growing through it. I'm wondering if we should prune it this winter and if anyone has advice or a preferred resource for guidance.

Thanks!

[Guest]

Wow!!! I have no idea where to go with advice with that one. However rule of thumb is do not prune out more than a third. It will take some time (years) to get that looking good, so don't be put off.

Also I don't know what others were like across the country, but round here it was a really bad year for apples (and I mean bad).

[FB.]

The bottom line is the tree is a neglected and possibly diseased mess which needed action several years ago.

If you want to 'tidy it up' you probably won't get much, if any, fruit for several years and the final result of the reshaping might not be satisfactory.

If you want fruit, it's probably best with only some light pruning, say not more than 10% of the wood being removed.

[jonahjonah]

Thanks. Sounds even more problematic than I realized. I guess we'll do a light tidy and not get our hopes up.

[ameno]

I strongly advise cutting off those cords around the trunk. Sooner or later they'll cut into the bark and restrict water and nutrient supply to the tree.
Otherwise, personally I would just cut out any dead bits and then prune lightly all over.

[Jimny14]

If it were me I'd be tempted to spend autumn researching what variety of apple I'd like to grow most, check the allotment rules on trees and hopefully they'll let you plant a new one over winter. Then I'd seriously consider whether to do a light tidy up prune over winter, or a more severe pruning, probably with one single cut through the main trunk.

[nickdub]

reasonable advice so far - I'd leave any pruning for another time - probably the best thing would be to clear the ground under the tree and give it a a feed of FYM in the Spring.

renovating an old tree is possible, but is only really worth it if you like the variety fruit it gives you.

[Can the Man]

loads of good advice given already, I don’t know anything about apple trees in fact I planted my first 2 last autumn and got 2 apples on each tree. But the wasps had a good go at them.
My suggestion is to get them brambles out of there as they will continue to strangle the tree.

[Jungle Jane]

It looks like it’s been trained like an espalier,someone’s taken the posts away & tied the branches into the tree? Those long branches trained along a wire could be quite productive in a better year with less late frosts etc

[jonahjonah]

Thanks, everyone. An internet search is no match for the advice shared here We did like the fruits and I would hate for it to go if it could be saved. We'll clear the ground as best we can and give it a feed with a light trim if any. I guess the ropes were to keep the drooping branches off the path and ground. No idea, but will remove them and hope branches don't start falling on my head. Basically we'll try to be nice to it this year and see how it gets on. I have planted a Braeburn from my bargain bunch of trees. We'll see how we go.