# Pruning my apple tree....Results



## Dan_IN_MN (Feb 17, 2009)

*Pruning my apple tree....Results. Any adults out there?*

Hello

I posted this thread : http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=88197 which was Pruning my apple tree.

Well....I did it......It was easier thinking about it looking at the pictures on the computer than out there with the ladder and saw.

Here is what I ended up with. I still need to do some more work.


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## JeffL (Feb 17, 2009)

Did you use hedge shears?


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## Dan_IN_MN (Feb 17, 2009)

JeffL said:


> Did you use hedge shears?



Why did you ask that? No I didn't.


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## capetrees (Feb 17, 2009)

JeffL said:


> Did you use hedge shears?



:hmm3grin2orange:


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## Dan_IN_MN (Feb 17, 2009)

I guess that I don't see the humor!

I need to make sure I don't sign into the 6 grade forum any more. Where is the 7th grade.....??? Maybe better answers there.


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## arbor pro (Feb 18, 2009)

It does look as though you 'topped' the tree with a hedge shears. I don't see where your cuts were made back to laterals. I would expect that you're going to see a lot of vertical watersprouts shoot out from each of those cuts. Probably will end up with an uglier, weaker tree than you started with.

Typically, the radical trimming that orchards implement is done from the time the tree is rather small. If pruned regularly, orchard trees don't get nearly as large as the one you tackled. Young trees can take more vigorous pruning than mature ones. When you take off that much wood at once on a mature tree, you're going to stress it out and cause a host of future problems.

I'd welcome others to chime in if they disagree but, that's what I was taught in my arboriculture classes. That said, I do residential tree pruning, not orchard work. In an orchard, they probably don't care so much what a tree looks like so long as it puts on a lot of fruit that workers can easily reach...


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## jrietkerk (Feb 18, 2009)

the best thing about your pruning is that you will get to see the results. You'll see if you brought it down low enough, and what level of suckering you'll get on those cuts. Might work out well fruit wise, as I think that tree bears fruit on the branch tips, as opposed to spurs, so lots of sprouts will equal lots of tips. 
Look into summer pruning - typically significant reductions will be done in late spring or summer, to avoid excessive suckering afterwards. The tree looked like a standard size tree, as opposed to a dwarf, or dwarf rootstock, that has the typical orchard look and size, easy for picking and management. Reducing standard trees to dwarf form is impossible without constant pruning, but you'll be right there. 

The big branch stubs and atypical form of the tree after your pruning will drive people nuts on this fourm. You might try some other arborist discussion groups to avoid the late night drunks who check this site out between #### sites or when their mom comes in the room to tell them to get a job. 

Personally, I would have chosen lateral branches to reduce to, and tipped them back afterwards. Maybe do that a few years in a row to get a smaller tree. 

My bet is you will summer prune next season to bring the height down again and control the excessive growth you're going to get. We all start somewhere, and you should learn something from every tree you work on.


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## S Mc (Feb 18, 2009)

Manyhobbies, in the link to your original thread you gave in your first post you were given some excellent advice. I will paraphrase: "Get professional help on site to demonstrate what to do", "if reducing by a major amount, do it in the summer to reduce vigorous regrowth", "do not take too much off at once", "take your time and restructure over a longer period". These were all valid points which it appears you decided to ignore.

This tree had not been reduced or pruned as a typical orchard apple would have been throughout its life. Taking off a major amount of growth will stimulate vegetative growth and you will end up with less apples. 

I'm sorry, but IMHO, the tree looks terrible. You had enough to work with where you could have developed a shorter AND attractive tree, if you had taken the excellent advice to get onsite professional help.

I believe jokes were made here because they frankly did not know what to say about a job you appeared to be proud of.

Sylvia


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## arbor pro (Feb 18, 2009)

S Mc said:


> Manyhobbies, in the link to your original thread you gave in your first post you were given some excellent advice. I will paraphrase: "Get professional help on site to demonstrate what to do", "if reducing by a major amount, do it in the summer to reduce vigorous regrowth", "do not take too much off at once", "take your time and restructure over a longer period". These were all valid points which it appears you decided to ignore.
> 
> This tree had not been reduced or pruned as a typical orchard apple would have been throughout its life. Taking off a major amount of growth will stimulate vegetative growth and you will end up with less apples.
> 
> ...



Precisely. You can't catch up on 20 years of pruning neglect in one single outing. Well, actually, you can - if pruning the tree off at the stump.

Pruning of mature trees takes patience and persistence but especially patience.


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## JeffL (Feb 18, 2009)

Yes, I wasnt being constructive. I've never pruned for fruiting, generally its usually for shape/size on ornamentals and fruit trees. I suppose it all depends on whether the tree fruits on first year or second year wood. If its second year wood, you wont get much production out of that tree whatsoever this coming season.

Generally its preferable to prune back to a lateral branch, not just leave big stubs. Yes, the plant will send out new growth from those points, but its going to just end up looking like someone with a spiked hairdo. Not so noticeable in the summer when in leaf, but come fall/winter, its going to look like the utility companies got to it (sorry, had to ).

You'll find this coming season that the tree will put out a ridiculous amount of upright suckers off those branch stubs. If you are trying to prune the tree for height/manageability/fruiting, I'd probably thin out the excessive suckering on the stubs, and try to prune the remaining suckers back to lateral, or sideways growing growth. This way the tree will hopefully begin to start to get some lateral growth back on it. You'll be battling it constantly for sucker growth from here on out, till the day you cut it flush at the stump, and chuck her in the wood stove. Hell, even then you'll still be battling suckers, unless you pull the stump out! 

Good luck!


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## Plasmech (Feb 18, 2009)

An expert I am NOT, but I think maybe that tree is um...well...maybe it needed something a little different than that type of work.




manyhobies said:


> Hello
> 
> I posted this thread : http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=88197 which was Pruning my apple tree.
> 
> ...


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## capetrees (Feb 18, 2009)

6th grade humor? Latenight drunks? 

Ok, here's the way I see it. 

You hacked the crap out of that tree and you're not going to get the results you planned on genius. As others have posted, you refused to get professional help on this job, opened a book and decided you were a pro. From the looks of the picture, you are not a pro, not even someone I could respect for trying. The tree looks awful and you should be ashamed at the job you've done. As also mentioned, you decided to make up for year of neglect and just want apples. Thats your bottom line. This could have been done over time and you would have had a much better result but YOU decided to post this picture and then refuse to accept that you hacked it. If this is something you plan to do more of in the future, please don't.

Truth sucks.


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## pcarborist (Feb 18, 2009)

> You'll find this coming season that the tree will put out a ridiculous amount of upright suckers off those branch stubs.



Another problem is stem canker like _Botrysphaeria_.


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## yooper (Feb 18, 2009)

This thread should be moved to the joke and funny picture forum When I first seen the photo I really thought it was a joke


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## Idaho-Tree-Guy (Feb 19, 2009)

TreeCo said:


> I bet it could be brought into good fruit production in a couple of years with the right pruning.



I would not bet against you, but I doubt it is going to get the right pruning.
Additionally it was let go way to long for fruit production in my opinion.


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## Idaho-Tree-Guy (Feb 19, 2009)

treeclimber101 said:


> thank god you said no offense first then followed up with you suck way to go idaho



Just trying to be P.C.


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## chevytaHOE5674 (Feb 19, 2009)

TreeCo said:


> I bet it could be brought into good fruit production in a couple of years with the right pruning.



x2, get somebody who knows what they are doing, and the tree will produce fruit again. But it isn't going to be the most attractive tree....


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## Brush Hog (Feb 19, 2009)

WOW!! :jawdrop: I had to log in to see what everyone was talking about. Looks like a sore #### but I give him credit for posting a pic like that.


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## thejdman04 (Feb 19, 2009)

thats the way I prune them, cut them to the ground


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## Idaho-Tree-Guy (Feb 19, 2009)

capetrees said:


> It's interesting that "Mr. Prune-it" posted looking for comments and now that people are telling the truth, he's nowhere to be found. hmmmm... :monkey:



Seems like all you need to be an arborist any more is to just own a chain saw, any one can cut a limb offin a tree.


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## 046 (Feb 20, 2009)

just finished pruning mine..


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## Idaho-Tree-Guy (Feb 21, 2009)

Seems like some strange editing is going on here.


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## Rick_C (Feb 21, 2009)

This is what you should have done from the beginning:




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## Plasmech (Feb 22, 2009)

Is it just me or are there now a couple of small widowmakers in that apple tree?


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## yooper (Feb 22, 2009)

Plasmech said:


> Is it just me or are there now a couple of small widowmakers in that apple tree?



lol...I was wondering why they where left there..I think they where there from the beginning.


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## yooper (Feb 22, 2009)

046 said:


> just finished pruning mine..



bummer cant see the photo


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