Proper crab apple tree pruning

[Debra Handy]

I am very concerned our flowering crab apple tree was pruned to much. Can you advise? I am not good with technology please forgive meif I have posted this incorrectly. Thank you. Photos attached.

 

[c5rulz]

I am pretty familiar with apple trees. The pruning job is OK but I would take out ALL branches that are growing straight up. You want to encourage horizontal branching rather than vertical. Keep in mind every heading cut will create 3 more shoots. When you get the appearance of the vigorous vertical shoots in June that are growing straight up, just pull them off when they are green.

This is 2 of the 7 rows of apple trees I have:

 

[Debra Handy]

I am pretty familiar with apple trees. The pruning job is OK but I would take out ALL branches that are growing straight up. You want to encourage horizontal branching rather than vertical. Keep in mind every heading cut will create 3 more shoots. When you get the appearance of the vigorous vertical shoots in June that are growing straight up, just pull them off when they are green.

This is 2 of the 7 rows of apple trees I have:

This would be the same for a flowering crab apple? I think your advice is great. Thank You! I love this tree we have and proper pruning is essential. I was so scared we cut back to much. Again, many thanks.

 

[c5rulz]

This would be the same for a flowering crab apple? I think your advice is great. Thank You! I love this tree we have and proper pruning is essential. I was so scared we cut back to much. Again, many thanks.

Actually I am getting away from heading branches if it is possible. Pruning actually invigorates the tree and makes it grow more and that is not actually a good thing. In a nutshell pruning is like fertilizing.

Here are some pics of pruned trees.

 

[Debra Handy]

Thank you. My husband is the pruner. He took off every single branch that had new growth starting and cut back to the thicker main brances. My knowledge of proper terminology is lacking. This is what it looked like a few weeks ago. I think he over does it, but still even with your pics I am not sure. Please advise. It's my favorite tree and I can't fix what's been done now, but can keep this in mind when he goes at it next year. My fear is we are ruining this tee.

 

[Debra Handy]

Better photo

 

[c5rulz]

Better photo

He did fine. I would have cut a couple of the ones going straight up off though.

 

[Debra Handy]

He did fine. I would have cut a couple of the ones going straight up off though.

Great news thank you!

 

[c5rulz]

FWIW, I was pruning trees Saturday. On the trellised trees I got through the row in the picture of 190 Honeycrisp trees in a little over an hour. The 3rd row which has Cortland and Macs took quite a bit longer due to the way they grow.

 

[Garden_Gekko]

the crotch angle of the limbs should be much closer to horizontal. Anywhere fro 90-45 degrees from the trunk. Take a look at c5rulz's pictures. The crotch angles on the limbs are beautiful...perfect. Over time, you should be selecting for limbs that have that characteristic. You're going to have your work cut out for you the way the tree was pruned. Will be a few years of repair work. There are great forums on the internet dedicated to fruit tree growing and reams of extension publications on the topic. Do searches for "tree training", "water sprouts", "notching buds". A couple hours worth of reading extension publications between now and July will get you on the right path to fixing the tree.