i live in ontario and planted a couple of northern spies they are about 6ft. high not grown much in past 3 yrs since i planted them but produced one apple last yr. they have not been pruned were do i start and what time of yr. is best thanks. you can contact me personly if you wish .i will appricate any info i receive . thank you h.hooey@sympatico.ca

-- helen hooey (h.hooey@sympatico.ca), March 23, 2002

Answers

Here in the states we have agraculture agents. They work for the us ag department. Go talk for them and they can help you. Right now I am taking a class through the Missouri ag department and we just talked about pruning last week and how to plant fruits and veggies this week. best wishes, red hen

-- red hen (redhenfarm@yahoo.com), March 23, 2002.

Might look at Pruning Apple Trees, Cornell Extension Servies, http://www.eap.mcgill.ca/CPTFP_7.htm

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), March 23, 2002.

This is how we do it, so take it for what its worth. ( Not Much ) Start by picking how high you want the tree, cut all. Any limb pointing down, or towards the middle of the tree cut off. Any limbs that touch cut off both. Any limb that looks to long to support fruit cut down half. Now cut half of everything left off. A man on a gardening show said the tree should look like a flock of birds could fly through it without touching a branch. This has worked for us. Good Luck

-- bergy (bbergbower@hotmail.com), March 23, 2002.

Also make up a batch of spreaders. Sticks notched on both ends to force the limbs out and away. The object is to get sunshine to cover as much of the tree as possible, allowing for more fruit.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), March 23, 2002.

remove all dead, crossing, pointing up branches, pointing down branches, not the twigs, especially if they have flower buds on them. If you were to look down from above you apple tree it should have a bowl or cup shape when you are fininshed pruning. Remember what you are doing in pruning is opening up the center of the tree, enabling the fruit and leaves to receive more light. You should also remove the vertical branches that grow alongside the trunk, they are called water sprouts. When you have a decision to make as to what branch to leave or remove, keep the branch that comes out of the trunk at close to a 90 degree angle. These branches tend to be stronger and produce more fruit. It you have a tree that has branches that almost all point upward, you can tie a piece of cloth or a rope that is covered with a piece of old hose, to the branch, and gently, gently coax it downward, and stake the other end so that the branch is being held in place at a different angle. Do this in little bits over an extended period of time to train the branch to grow the way you like. Any more questions email me. I can also scan the directions from the county for you. Joany

-- Joany Hoffman (mjjch@uniontel.net), March 23, 2002.

Check with Purdue U. at www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/ for more good info try www.ppdl.purdue.edu/ppdl/

-- Mel Kelly (melkelly@webtv.net), March 24, 2002.

ms.hooey, here is an excellent tutorial on fruit tree pruning & training with PICTURES, whoo-hee! have fun!

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/ag29.html

-- bj pepper in C. MS. (pepper.pepper@excite.com), March 25, 2002.