How to Prune an Apple Tree For Better Fruit Production

Pruning apple trees can be confusing! It doesn’t help that there are so many tutorials out there telling you which branches to cut and which ones to leave.

The problem is that not everyone is teaching the same pruning method. If you start combining advice from different sources, you can end up with a tree that looks nothing like what you were trying to accomplish! Trust me, I've made this mistake myself when I first started learning how to prune fruit trees.

The good news is that learning how to prune an apple tree properly doesn't have to be complicated! Once you understand the two main pruning styles, it will be a game changer, even on old, overgrown trees.

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Why Pruning Is Important

Pruning is one of the most important things you can do to keep your trees healthy and productive. It encourages strong branches that can support the weight of a heavy crop while making trees easier for you to manage, too!

You can use the rest of this series to learn when to prune fruit trees, how to plant an apple tree, how to care for apple trees, the best method for thinning apple trees, and how to prevent apple scab, because the goal isn't simply to make your tree look nice. It is to develop a strong structure that will support healthy growth and delicious fruit for years to come.

When to Prune Apple Trees

The best time to prune apple trees is generally during their dormant season, from winter through early spring before the buds begin to open. That is when I do the majority of pruning in our orchard.

Two Methods For Purning Apple Trees

Before you make a single cut, there's something you need to understand. There are two main pruning styles commonly used for apple trees: modified central leader and open center.

Both methods can produce healthy, productive apple trees, but they are polar opposites with very different goals. Basically, one maintains a central trunk with branches growing outward, while the other removes the central trunk to create an open middle.

You don't want to start pruning for one style and then switch halfway through to the other. That's how you end up with a hodgepodge tree!

Modified Central Leader Pruning

Modified central leader pruning is the method we primarily use at Idlewild Orchard. Because we're managing a large number of trees, we want a system that produces healthy fruit while making maintenance as quick and efficient as possible. This is the method I recommend focusing on if you're growing apple trees in a traditional orchard layout.

With this method, you maintain one main leader growing upward through the center of the tree. Lateral branches grow outward from that leader, creating different levels of growth.

1. Identify the Central Leader: Start at the base of the tree and follow the main trunk upward. This is your central leader. You want only one dominant leader.

2. Remove Competing Leaders: Look for potential secondary leaders. They are branches growing upward at sharp angles alongside the central leader. These will compete with the main trunk. Remove the secondary leaders.

3. Identify Strong Lateral Branches: Lateral branches grow outward from the central leader. You don’t want laterals that are crossing or stacked. Pro-Tip: To help you select the right lateral branches, think of the tree like a bicycle wheel laid on its side. The central leader is the hub, and the lateral branches are the spokes extending outward in different directions. You don't want all those spokes stacked directly on top of each other! Instead, you want branches evenly distributed around the tree so they have plenty of room to grow. As the tree matures, the goal is to develop a strong structure with well-spaced branches that allow sunlight and airflow throughout the canopy.

4. Remove Unnecessary Lower Branches: Remove branches growing too close to the ground, usually below about hip height. This helps keep fruit off the ground and makes maintenance easier. 

5. Remove Branches Too Close Together: In modified central pruning, you also want to create “floors” or levels where the branches are on the same plane or close to it. The first “floor” should start about 3 to 4 feet up the tree trunk. Then allow 10 to 11 inches of open space vertically before the next “floor” of branches, and so on, with up to 6 or 7 floors on your tree.

Open Center Pruning

The second method is called open center pruning, sometimes referred to as vase or goblet pruning. 

Instead of keeping the main growth leader in the center of the tree, you remove it and encourage several main branches to grow outward from the lower portion of the trunk. Imagine a goblet with an open middle and branches extending outward in different directions. That open center allows sunlight to reach the fruit and improves airflow throughout the tree.

This method is great for home orchards because it keeps trees shorter and makes harvesting easier without ladders. However, it does require a little more maintenance to keep the center from filling in, and these trees will take up more space.

1. Select Your Main Branches: On a young tree, identify three or four well-spaced branches growing outward from the trunk, anywhere from about knee height to hip height. These will become the main structural branches, often called scaffold branches.

2. Remove the Central Leader: Once you've selected suitable scaffold branches, remove the central leader above them to establish the open-center shape. This is a major structural cut best planned while the tree is young, rather than something to do indiscriminately to a mature apple tree.

3. Reduce Excessive Height: Use selective heading cuts to manage overly long structural branches and to encourage branching. 

4. Other Branches to Remove: Just like with modified central leader pruning, remove branches that overlap or cross, branches that rub against one another, and branches that are stacked.

5. Remove Inward-Growing Branches: As the tree develops, remove branches growing toward the middle of the canopy. You want to maintain that open goblet shape rather than allowing the center to fill back in.

Pro-Tip: Open center pruning is also commonly used for peach trees (as I explained in How to Prune a Peach Tree), but that doesn't mean every pruning technique transfers directly from apples to peaches. Different fruit trees have different growth habits and fruiting patterns, so always follow guidance specific to the tree you're growing!

Other Branches You Should Prune

Regardless of which pruning style you choose, there are a few types of growth you'll always want to remove.

• Dead, Dying, or Diseased Branches: These branches aren't contributing to the health of your tree. They may cause stress and create opportunities for pests and diseases to spread. Remove them promptly, then use appropriate sanitation practices to clean your tools. This includes pruning out things like fire blight, apple scab, and any type of scarring on the tree.

• Rootstock Suckers: If you notice shoots growing from below the graft union or from the roots, remove them. These shoots are growing from the rootstock rather than the grafted apple variety. They dramatically reduce yields by stealing energy from growth and fruit production.

• Watersprouts: These are vigorous, upright shoots that often grow from established branches. Remove unnecessary water sprouts that crowd the canopy or compete with your desired tree structure.

How to Prune an Apple Tree

Knowing which branches to remove is only half the battle. You also need to know how to make clean cuts without unnecessarily damaging the tree. 

You will find step-by-step instructions for how to properly perform the 4 different types of cuts in How to Prune Fruit Trees.

Start with quality garden tools and keep them sharp and clean. Disinfect them when moving between trees or after removing diseased wood.

For smaller branches, a sharp pair of bypass pruners will usually do the trick. Larger branches may require loppers or a pruning pole saw.

When removing an entire branch, look for the branch collar. This is the slightly swollen area where the branch connects to the trunk or a larger branch.

Make your cut just outside the branch collar (about an inch away from the trunk) rather than cutting flush against the trunk or leaving a long stub. The branch collar contains specialized tissue that helps the tree seal off the wound naturally.

If you're removing a heavy branch, use a jump cut to prevent the weight of the branch from tearing bark away from the trunk. (Again, you will find directions for performing jump cuts in How to Prune Fruit Trees.)

How Much Growth To Remove

A common mistake is removing too much growth at once. Heavy pruning can stress a tree and encourage excessive upright growth. 

As a general guideline, don’t remove more than about 20 - 25% of a healthy mature tree's canopy in one year. Neglected, overgrown trees may need to be renovated gradually over several seasons.