In winter, apple trees shed their leaves and are quite bare in the garden. However, this time can also be used for the apple tree to prune the tree in winter to ensure a constantly renewed crown shape and a rich harvest next year.
How to care for an apple tree in winter?
In winter, apple trees should be pruned between January and March to ensure optimal crown shape and a rich harvest next year. In addition, the leaves should be removed and composted in a timely manner to prevent mold and disease.
The right cut
When pruning the apple tree in winter, make sure to choose the right time for pruning. The time between January and March is a good time for this, as there is then only a little sap in the bark of the apple tree. If there is a thaw in a mild winter, this should not be used to cut the tree. Otherwise, when the tree cools down again, undesirable frostbite of branches would occur in the open wounds on the tree crown. Stump cuts with branches that protrude upwards should be avoided, as water collects on them and freezes into ice sheets.
Food for insects and birds
Unlike leaves, not all apples fall completely from the tree naturally. If not all apples are picked during harvest, some specimens may remain hanging on the branch until spring. Although this generally promotes the overwintering of some pests, to a certain extent it makes sense as winter food for birds. If they are attracted to your garden by this food source, they may in turn serve as popular predators for caterpillars and worms in the summer.
The foliage of the apple tree in winter
If possible, the foliage of the apple tree should not remain under the snow cover all winter long. If there is grass under the apple tree, it could otherwise suffer from mold infestation in the spring. Since the leaves also serve as a breeding ground for diseases and various fungi, they should be collected and composted in good time in autumn. This means it can serve as fertilizing humus around the trunk of the apple tree the following year.
Tips & Tricks
If you have an apple tree in a pot, you should protect it from frost in winter. Since the roots are not below the surface of the earth, they may be damaged by frost.
