Question:
How to heavily prune a mature tree?
none of ur business
2009-05-01 07:51:27 UTC
I have a 12 year old bramley apple tree which is about 8 foot tall, quite wide.

My problem is this: The tree has thick branches which stretch into the neighbours garden. I want to cut the branches -- they are very thick and mature.

The tree also grows wonky - it leans over onto the fence for support and has entangled with the trellis, and branches stretch onto that side - it has completely destroyed the trellis fence.

My questions are:

1. How do I prune the branches? - Can I just get an electric saw and chop them off? Will this damage or kill the rest of the tree? - Is this better done in Winter?

2. How can I stop the tree from growing wonky? Should I just uproot it a little and add supporting soil on one side? My friend told me I should tie a rope to the tree, and attach it to the wall in my garden - and that this would gradually straighten the tree up (make it grow more to the left and straighten up)? --- Is this true?

Help please!!!! - Also could I plant the cut branches and get a new tree out of it?

I
Seven answers:
BuyTheSeaProperty
2009-05-01 08:23:37 UTC
Hey None of your Business,



Pruning is one of my favorite pastimes. There are some basics to pruning you should learn.



Remove branches that compete with the central leader



Remove branches that grow inward or cross with other branches.



Remove upright growth or water sprouts.



Remove low growing branches that interfere with vision or maintenance.



Remove suckers originating from below-ground growth



Heading back or shearing is the indiscriminate cutting of the ends of vigorous of plants. This will produce a dense growth on the outside of the plant and may cause a bare interior due to loss of light. Heading just above a bud, which is growing in the desired direction will cause that bud to 'fire', and therefore you can control which way the plant grows. Pruning is a local effect, use it to control growth.



Thinning, cutting selected branches back to a main branch, encourages new growth from the inside of the plant keeping it full. Thinning will also help to reduce size and provides for a fuller, more attractive plant.





Notes:



Collar cuts will seal over naturally by the plant, and no pruning tar is needed. Pruning tar may trap moisture and bacteria, and cause disease to enter at the cut.



Download the Clemson presentation on pruning.
anonymous
2009-05-01 08:18:49 UTC
You should prune during winter (while the tree is dormant), this will invigorate the tree, causing it to grow more during the following season. If you prune during summer this will cause the tree to grow less during that growing season. Spring pruning has an effect somewhere between winter and summer pruning, you can prune now without causing damage top tree but best done in winter.Pruning should consist of keeping the centre of the tree relatively clear of growth, removing all weak or diseased growth and keeping the tree within the space available. Remember that apples will grow on wood produced the previous year, so always leave a good proportion (say 50%) of the previous year's growth.

You can straighten a tree by tying it but if it is mature it may not work very well. make sure you tie sacking around the tree to protect the area you are tying to.

You cannot plant a branch and expect it to grow but you can take cuttings from young shoots and splice them onto rootstock.
Racin
2009-05-01 08:14:41 UTC
Try and wait until November to prune this tree. When you make the cut do not cut the branch collar. The branch collar is a raised piece of bark that is located were a branch connects to another branch. Generally speaking do not cut more than 1/4 of the branches off a tree in one season. Cut branches off that grow towards the middle of the tree. Your branches should grow up and out. Cut any branches that are touching each other or have the potential in the near future.



Trying to grow trees from the cuttings is not easy. If you decide too try make sure you get some root hormone to dip the cuttings in before putting them in some good loom.



Good luck and happy growing.
ktdid80
2009-05-01 09:17:09 UTC
The general rule of thumb when pruning is not to remove more than 1/3 of the plant material in a single growing season. So have patience, this may be a multi-season project. I have a lot of experience pruning trees and have seen some nightmare hack jobs. As with many fruiting and flowering trees, a little pruning each year may be all it needs to improve its growth habit. But now is the time to prune it, before it leafs out fully and begins to set fruit.



I live in Lansing, MI. If you live close, I may be able to come show you how to prune this tree. If not, you could post a photo or two.



Otherwise, here is some general advice. Start by removing anything that is DEAD, DAMAGED, or DISEASED. Once that is done, if there is still more that can be done this year (up to the 1/3 rule), remove branches that rub against other branches, criss-cross, or grow awkwardly. This includes the straight, upright "water sprouts" that are so comon on apples. Also, remember that you may not have to remove an entire branch. You may only need to cut it back to a joint or a V. You can control the directionality of a branch by doing this as well. Example: If a large branch is growing outward, and it splits off in two directions, one part of it might be growing over your yard and the other over your neighbor's. You can remove the unwanted part over your neighbor's yard while encouraging the more desireable part over your yard to grow. This concept works for large and small branches, and can be used to shorten overly long branches too. Apple trees tend to have what we call "twin" or "double" branches aswell. Which is just two branches that seem to mirror eachother and compete for the same space. One of these should be removed from each pair. Just choose which is more disirable relative to the rest of the tree. With apple trees, the goal is to have an openness to the growth pattern, which allows for better light penetration and air circulation around the fruit. Branches should also be encouraged (thru pruning) to grow up and out. Many times, apple trees will send out a branch that grows slightly downward or back in toward the center of the tree. These should be removed. Always make your cuts at natural-looking points such as a joint or fork in the branch. Also, start small, removing only small amounts at a time. You can always cut more off, but once it's cut, you can't re-attach it.



Absolutely do NOT dig it up to add soil! The root disturbance would likely killl the tree. You might try staking the tree to slowly pull it to vertical. This takes a while though (like years, depending on severity). You must also be careful to reposition the tie from the stake at least once per season to prevent it from becoming ingrained into the bark of the tree. Also, look around, is there something blocking sunlight from this apple tree? Another tree? A building or fence? All plants seek to grow toward sunlight. If something is blocking it, that could be the cause of the leaning. Allowing full direct sunlight to the tree may help encourage more uniform growth. The pruning may also help to lighten it's load so it won't need to lean on the fence for support.





For more information you can check out you local college or university's extension website and look for pruning tips. The Michigan State University Extension's website has lots of helpful information on many lawn and garden questions. You should look for photos/digrams of how to make proper pruning cuts. Bad cuts can be harmful to the tree, and they look terrible.



I hope this helps. Good luck!
Becky H
2009-05-01 08:03:07 UTC
You can prune it by cutting off the branches, but cut leaving a sprouting bit of the branch otherwise your tree will die off. Your friend was right about how to straighten it. You can't plant a branch and get a new tree. No roots. Trees should normally be pruned when they have finished fruiting/flowering, you can do it now, but don't expect much fruit this year. If you get a lot of fruit that you can't eat, try stewing them and putting them in the freezer and using them for apple pies etc. I'm still using mine from last year. Hope this helps.
Djchrissyp
2009-05-01 08:06:21 UTC
yes you can tie a tree and advance its line of growth, but this takes time.



also you will need to adjust the rope from time to time stop the bark growing around it



cutting it, no cutting will really damage the tree, it will just alter the look, start near the ends, and cut small bits at a time, stand back and look at the tree and prun either sides until you have it the way you want it to look.
Allison1888
2009-05-01 08:57:06 UTC
I would call a local tree service -- the tree sounds too big for you to trim and also you need to be careful about when to prune. Usually winter time is the best, but definitely when the tree is dormant.


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
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