• Pruning is one of the most important maintenance chores for an apple tree.Apple-tree image by zalisa from Fotolia.com
  
  Apple trees and all fruit trees need to be trained and kept shaped to encourage maximum fruit production and yield. Apple trees have a tendency to be affected by pests, fungi and several diseases. Proper pruning can open up the tree and increase airflow and enhance the overall health of the tree. Spur pruning is especially beneficial as it increases the quantity of viable fruit and reduces the number of dropped unfinished little apples that happen when a tree is overcrowded.
  
  

Winter

• Winter is the time to do a hard prune. It may seem a little brutal at first, especially if the trees have not been properly maintained. The primary goal of winter pruning is shaping the tree. The tree will be dormant so bigger cuts will not harm the tree. Pruning in the center is essential to open up the branches. Cut out all the crossed branches and old unproductive wood. Broken, diseased and damaged branches should be pruned off at the base. The winter prune is the time to remove suckers both at ground level and in the canopy. They are the branches that grow straight up and will not branch out or produce much. Keep only the vigorous healthy branches that grow outward. Anything that grows in, down, or up should be removed. It the tree is getting too tall you can take it down at this time. You may end up with a job that looks like the tree has been hacked, but new spring growth will fill it out in no time and the plant will have a fresh start for the new season.
  
  

Spring

• Spring is the season to fine-tune your original pruning. There may be storm or freeze damage on the tree that will need to be removed as it does nothing for the tree and drains energy. Any shoots that have sprouted that are taking off in the wrong direction can be pruned out of the tree. Any branch that is too leggy to support the weight of apples should come off and any excessive vegetation that does not have flower buds on it should go. Deadwood and mildewed branches are unnecessary and should be removed. Take a look through the center of the tree and see if you can see through it. If not, you may want to remove a bit more foliage and twigs to keep the air circulation free among the branches.
  
  

Apple Reduction

• You may wonder why you would want to prune out apple blossoms or small apples. As the season goes on and you are assessing your tree it may become apparent that there are too many apple buds in close proximity. These will lead to too many apples in a clump which will deform them and cause some to fall off. It also increases the chances for pest damage and disease transfer. It is good to go through the tree when the buds have all opened or even when the apples are tiny and immature. Prune out clumps leaving just one apple per node. The apple will have enough space to form properly, enough air to reduce mildew and beneficial insects can access the pests more easily. If the first two prunings were successful, there will still be plenty of apples and they will all be beautiful and usable.