Apple Tree

[BumbleB]

Hi everyone

I wonder if anyone can give me advice on if its ok to take off lower branches while it is in blossom?

We inherited this established apple tree when we moved in last year. It was full of apples in July as we moved in so I take it its an early variety. The apples were a blushed red and green and seemed ok to eat ( a little sharp) or to cook.

The problem is it has very low branches and I am trying to clear a flower border that runs under it but its back breaking!

When is the best time to prune off the lower branches.

Thanks guys

[Nicos]

November to February when the tree is dormant.
but I did see this....

Royal Horticultural Society - Advice: Summer pruning apples

I know it's not the sort of pruning you mean though.

If it were me???...and it was in the way???..I'd chop them off and use a sealant on the wound which you can buy from garden centres.

but...I've no idea whether that would be the 'right ' answer!

[FB.]

As Nicos said; pruning of older wood should be done in winter.
Summer pruning is only really intended to cut back the new shoots form the current growing season, as they turn from soft/green to harder/brown/wood.

If you prune the older wood of your apple tree in the summer (especially removal of large branches that will leave large wounds that take a long time to heal), you will expose it to attacks from canker. Some varieties can succumb very quickly to canker as they have no ability to fight the infection, while other varieties have good immunity against it and are barely affected.

The idea of winter pruning the old wood is that canker is not active during the winter as it's too cold for the fungus to grow. Therefore, winter pruning allows time for the wounds to heal, before the weather warms up and the canker spores start spreading in the wind/rain.

From personal experience, (especially if you don't know whether the tree has natural resistance to canker), I strongly recommend that you don't prune the tree until next winter. If you really must prune it, then you must treat the wounds with an appropriate "dressing" - usually a sealant - available from many garden centres or nurseries.

[BumbleB]

Thanks for your advice guys. It looks like 1 will carry on crawling to clear the bed and deal with the branches in the winter.