Apple trees bear a lot of fruit even without much care and are therefore popular house trees. However, the fruit yield of these trees suffers if they are not cut regularly. In this article we clarify whether this care measure can be carried out during flowering.
Can you cut the apple tree while it is blooming?
During floweringyou should not cut back the apple tree,as this weakens the fruit tree very much. If pruning is urgently necessary, you can do this immediately after flowering. Then you can also see which branches will later bear little fruit.
When is the right time to cut the apple?
Ideally, you should cut back the apple treebetween December and March.
- Since the tree has no leaves, it is easier for you to decide which branches need to go.
- You can also influence how strong the new growth will be: the earlier you cut back the apple, the stronger the shoots will be.
In order to increase the harvest, additional pruning is carried out between July and September in commercial cultivation.
When can the water shoots from the apple tree be removed?
These vertically upward-growing shoots, which usually arise from a sleeping eye, should be removedin late spring. The very thin branches are susceptible to disease, rarely bear fruit and cost the tree unnecessary energy.
Water shoots are broken out by hand by tearing them off with a sharp downward jerk. This prevents the formation of new, sleeping buds and the wound site closes more quickly than with a cut.
Tip
Prevent alternation
There are years when the apple trees bear plenty, but the next there are hardly any apples hanging on the tree. If you thin out the flowers early, you can prevent this alternation. Alternatively, you can cut off the excess of small apple fruits, although this does not counteract fluctuations in yield as effectively.
