Decado
Green Thumb
Posts: 480
Joined: Fri May 15, 2009 10:52 pm
Location: Crystal, MN (Zone 4)

Pruning Lowest Branch On Apple Tree (M7 semi-dwarf)

What should I be aiming for when pruning for the lowest branch height? The rootstock is semi-dwarf M7 and the trees are honeycrisp, zestar, and snowsweet.

JONA
Greener Thumb
Posts: 812
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2014 7:11 am
Location: Sussex. England

Hi Decado
I'm assuming here that your trees are all newly planted and are not established trees.
On a maiden or two year old tree the ideal height for the lowest branch is just above knee height. This will then finish around waist height when the tree is fully grown.
M7 like its sister stock M9 is a very dwarfing stock and will need a good support as it grows as its root system is not a very strong one.

Decado
Green Thumb
Posts: 480
Joined: Fri May 15, 2009 10:52 pm
Location: Crystal, MN (Zone 4)

It's actually my 4 year old trees I'm wondering about, where the lowest branches should be on them.

JONA
Greener Thumb
Posts: 812
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2014 7:11 am
Location: Sussex. England

Ideally they should be around hip height.
M7 will produce a finished tree of around 8 - 10 ft high.
If you are growing them as centre leaders then you need roughly three layers of growth. The lowest around 4 ft or so..this is a permanent structure and will carry the main cropping.
The top of the tree is used as a control and no structure off the main leader at the top is allowed beyond three years old..once any branch at the top reaches this age it is cut back and a replacement allowed to develop. If this is not done then the lower structures will weaken and the whole tree becomes a ' bottle brush ' with the fruiting wood getting ever higher up the tree.
If your trees are open centred then base structure at 4 ft will give you a lovely bowl shaped tree.

The one golden rule to remember is that to get a good strong lower structure in the tree, the higher branches must never be stronger than the ones lower down that you want to develop as your main frame. Sometimes this can mean being a little brutal at pruning time.



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