Pruning Your Apple Tree

Tree Pruning Guide. Source: http://www.weekendgardener.net/pix/howto/pruneapples2alg.jpg

While the apple wine is quietly sleeping in the stainless steel tanks, we thought we’d take this opportunity to talk about pruning your apple trees.

The winter months provide the best time to prune your apple tree before new growth starts.  Here in Colorado, I’m starting to wonder if we even have a winter here anymore, but certainly January and February represent the safest opportunity to prune your tree.  Once the “juices” get flowing in the tree, pruning away branches and limbs puts your tree at risk of fire blight (click here for a full description for Colorado State Cooperative Extension).   Use these winter months to optimize the health of the tree and encourage better fruiting.

For the do-it-yourselfer, there are many wonderful articles about apple tree pruning:

• http://www.weekendgardener.net/how-to/prune-apple-trees.htm
• http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1150.html
• http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_h/H327.pdf
• http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=90 (step back…. this is from the…Royal Horticultural Society)

Offer for Branch Out Cider Tree Contributors!

Branch Out Cider has an offer for tree owners who are looking to keep their tree in tip top shape. Our friends at  Wild Iris Living and Evolving Gardens are offering a $45/hr apple tree pruning rate (10% discount) for all Branch Out Cider Tree Contributors.

• Robyn Dolgin, horticulturist/landscape designer and owner of Wild Iris Living
• Matt Ridley, horticulturist/certified arborist and owner of Evolving Gardens

Robyn and Matt combine 50 years experience to provide skillful pruning services for fruit trees.  Give them a call today at(970) 493-5681 or robyn.dolgin@wildirisliving.com to schedule a free estimate (two hour pruning minimum).