Hi! I have two apple trees in Northern MN; they've been in the ground about 3 years now and have not yet created apples. I have not yet done any pruning, both trees are a straight stalk with branches coming out the sides. How do I prune my trees and begin to shape them? What time of year should the pruning be done? How long does it take for them to grow APPLES!?? thanks! debra
I would assume from your location that you've planted trees on standard-sized rootstock, and I would therefore not expect fruit before they've been in the ground about 5 years. This can vary of course, by cultivar for example, as Northern Spy takes longer to bear, while Red Baron bears earlier. Time of year to prune is around mid-March -- after the coldest weather has passed and before dormancy has been broken. Here is a fact sheet of this subject: http://extension.unh.edu/pubs/HGPubs/trainpyap.pdf If your leader is growing less than one-foot per year, then you should add some fertilizer, such as composted manure about the base of the tree in early-May. However, once it is bearing fruit, the leader should not be growing more than one-foot per year, and if needed, fertilizer should be reduced to control vigor and retain fruit quality. Hopefully this makes some sense of gauging fertilizer need: leader growth 12"-20" (non-bearing), 6"-12" (bearing). Another fertilizer option is Espoma Plant-Tone, which can be added by the pound (i.e. Add 1-2 pounds per tree and adjust up or down by 1 lb. increments in subsequent years.)
What varieties of apples did you plant? It can take a few years for apples to come into bearing. This website will help you out. http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/applepear.html Cheers
It sounds like your tree is similar to a pole apple tree. I agree with the other posts in regard to using fertilizer to help the fruit to grow. It is also necessary to begin pruning early in the life of the tree. If you begin later, this could result in an uneven production of fruit. One year your harvest will be robust and the next year there will be hardly anything. A basic rule of thumb for pruning is to remove any dead or diseased branches. The base of each branch has an area of wrinkled wood called the branch collar. This portion of the tree contains cells that are necessary to heal wounds. This is why you never want to cut into the branch collar when pruning. The fruiting buds are the dark-colored, wrinkled wood that grows from each branch. You will want to leave these small branches because they are what produce the fruit. Most pole apple trees begin to form fruiting buds at around three years of age. You should also notice vegetative buds on your apple trees that are similar in appearance to fruiting buds.They are usually not as wrinkled and not as dark. Keep in mind that these are the buds that form the leaves and the new branches.
They can become whatever you like. I selected mine for a single stem, allowed them to get 14' tall, and pruned them into 14' tall pyramidal forms. Like a very narrow, tall, tight cone shape. About 4' wide at the bottom, gently tapering to a narrow top. I could prune the entire tree with my orchard ladder in one spot. One, Liberty, started to produce the second year - like 10 apples You want flat espallier, umbrella, or round headed?
