Pruning appletrees. Is it needed? What can go wrong

[davholla]

Apologies for the similarity to my other post.

I have some apple trees which I think I should prune.
A) Does it need doing ?
B) Assuming I follow what is in the books can I go very badly wrong
C) Has anyone ever got the cuttings to root?  I have never done so far.

Some of my trees did not fruit last year and I wonder if was because I pruned them too much (they are all 3-5 years old so would not be that many apples anyway).

[Robert_Brenchley]

You may have pruned them too much, but if so they should fruit this year. Are they old trees? If so, don't cut too much at once. If you prune in winter, you get very strong growth next summer. In summer, you discourage new growth by weakening the plant. Don't cut anything major in summer.

[davholla]

You may have pruned them too much, but if so they should fruit this year. Are they old trees? If so, don't cut too much at once. If you prune in winter, you get very strong growth next summer. In summer, you discourage new growth by weakening the plant. Don't cut anything major in summer.

They are all quite young.  I have 4 normal trees and 2 cordons.  I guess the cordons I should pruned last summer - I will this year.

[jjt]

  C)  I grew an apple tree from a cutting. By mistake. I'd pruned the tree some weeks previously and left the wood lying around. Wanted some sticks to mark out rows, so sawed some bits up and shoved them in. One grew, is about 4' tall now and I've planted it out properly.
  B)  Not really but have a good look and a think first.
  A)  Probably yes. In fact definitely yes, at least to some extent so you don't just get a dense tangle.

[PurpleHeather]

When I read up about it many years ago.

The writer said that rather than mess up by bad pruning, leave them alone.

Pruning helps the yeild if it is done correctly but because of the amount of apples you get from a mature tree, too many for most of us to use. It is only needed when fruit is being grown for commercial use.

I just lop off branches which are growing in the way. Or straggly ones. We always get more than we can use and end up with a freezer full after giving loads away.

That is apples, pears, plums of a few varieties.

So, I would not worry about it. If it ain't broke don't fix it.  I know a neighbour paid to get a lovely tree pruned by some one who claimed to be an expert . It always looked odd after, and never really recovered. They ended up chopping it down altogether.

[jennym]

If you don't prune when young, the apple trees may develop straggly, non fruitful branches, and won't grow to the shape you want. A lot depends on the variety.
The general rule, is that if you cut at the ends of branches in late winter/early spring, just above a growth bud, that bud will grow away later, in effect making the branch longer.
So, if you prune in winter/early spring for where you want your branches to grow. If you prune a vertical leader stem at this time, you will encourage side stems to sprout lower down. This winter pruning is to form the actual main framework, the permanent shape of the tree.
If you want fruiting spurs (on a spur bearing tree), then, in late summer, you cut the small shoots that sprout from along the branches, about 2-3inches long.
Eventually you see them form the typical knobbly type spurs which bear a rosette of leaves and flowers and eventually fruit. Once they are at that stage you leave the spurs alone really.
Spur bearing trees can be used to form cordons and espaliers.
On a tip bearing apple tree, like a bramley, you can encourage fruiting by allowing the new shoots that form on the branches to stay uncut.
The following year, they will flower from that point, but you will also see growth of these shoots past that point, so by the time the apples form they aren't actually at the tip of the stems.
To control a Bramley, which is very vigorous, no matter what rootstock you have,  I find the best way is to completely remove a quantity of about a quarter of the fresh shoots that form along the branches each year - and about a quarter of the shoots that formed the previous year - this reduces the strain on the tree. Bramleys won't grow well as cordons or espaliers for the reason that they are so vigorous.
Hope this helps.

[goodlife]

Your apples quite young to fruit anyway. Other reply's have given you answer for the pruning, but lot of people do not realise how much young apple trees do need feeding to get them to put good strong growth on and to develop decent size and quontity of fruit later on. If you frame work is not right from early on, it is hard work to correct it or to get the trees crop properly later on.
I grow couple of dozen of various fruit trees of various ages on my allotment. My trees doesn't get just one or two feeds a year as normally recommended, I don't find it enough. Mine gets something now and then throughout growing season.
Straingt feed only in spring, but rest of the time half composted stuff chucked under or clearings from chicken pen, grass clippings..generally mulch on thin layes little and often...
 

[Digeroo]

. We always get more than we can use

  Sounds as if you are doing a great job. 

My brother is law is terrible he seems to make a habit of cutting off all the fruiting wood.  He  loves pruning and if he comes over I have to watch him to ensure he does not get bossy with my trees.  He then complains his trees are not fruiting!

I am not very good at it the other extreme.  I tend to cut off anything that has not got a flower on it, and later cut off anything without a fruit.  This is fine except one of my trees is so prolific all the branches flower and all the branches fruit so I do not cut off enough and the tree is getting much too big for its boots. 

[Robert_Brenchley]

I find it's best not to let trees fruit till they reach a decent size. that way all their energy can go into growing.

[davholla]

I find it's best not to let trees fruit till they reach a decent size. that way all their energy can go into growing.

What is a decent size for dwarf tree?

[Robert_Brenchley]

Wait till it's got A head on it - say 3-4 years depending on how strongly it grows. I've got a bit more space so I grow them on semi-dwarfing rootstock. Some grow so strongly there's no need to worry and they can fruit as soon as they like. Others are weaker an need a bit of mollycoddling or they put all their energy into fruit production and stop growing.