First, remove the three Ds: Dead, Diseased, and Damaged wood. This is the easy bit—anything that looks sad, brown, or like it’s been through a divorce, just cut it out. Next, remove crossing branches that rub together—they’re creating friction, and trees hate drama.
When To Prune Uk Apple Trees at Alica Martel blog
Then, thin out the centre of the tree. You want a goblet shape—like a wine glass, but for apples. If the centre looks like a messy hedge, birds will laugh at you, and the tree gets no airflow, leading to rot.
Finally, cut just above a bud that faces outward. This makes the branch grow away from the centre, achieving that glorious goblet. Cut too far away, and you leave a stub that rots; cut too close, and the bud dies. It’s like Goldilocks, but with more sawdust.
