Most of our ancient apple trees have been abandoned and must fend for themselves in their old age. But, some are cared for and these mostly are pruned in late February through mid-March. Here, you see arborists pruning some of the old apple trees at the WoodenBoat campus on March 12 (Thursday).
Tree surgeons tell us that the ideal time to cut the apple trees is now, just before they come out of their winter sleep. Dead, diseased and broken branches are removed and sometimes the tree height is lowered by cutting back large vertical growths to encourage them to branch outward.
Fall or early winter pruning is not recommended because it can create wounds that can’t heal before the severe weather arrives; summer pruning can result in excessive leaves that retard fruit growth. (Brooklin, Maine)