![]() Once this job is accomplished, pause and look at the tree. The first step in renovation is to remove all dead and broken branches and branch stubs. Any pruning should be done just before the heavy bearing year. Many aging apple trees will bear heavy fruit on alternate years. Make all cuts smooth and close leaving the collar but not a stub. Use clean and sharp tools that are designed specifically for pruning. Prune during the dormant period, late winter or early spring. Such pruning consists of gradually lowering tree height to 18 feet or less, removal of surplus scaffold limbs, and the elimination of weak wood. The pruning must be moderate and spread over a two- or three-year period to avoid excessive growth and/or injury to large limbs from sudden over-exposure to sunlight. Pruning the aging, high-topped apple tree is largely a job of renovation, followed by renewal of fruiting wood.
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