Start with pruning: cutting away unwanted growth on the apple tree not only makes it more manageable, but also opens up its branches to sun and ventilation. You need only the pruning shears, a ladder, and a pole or rigid tape measure to guide your pruning.
Choose a Size for Your Tree
Neglected standard apple trees have usually grown too tall--making them impossible to tend effectively. First aim at reducing height, then at shaping lateral growth.
Stand back and survey the tree, and decide how tall you want the tree to be for easy tending--15 feet or 20 feet, for example. Once you have chosen your height, make a pole of that height and stand it up against the tree. Then cut off all the growth that extends beyond the pole. You may also fasten a rigid tape measure to where the tree is the desired height, and use that as your guide.
Follow the Rules of Pruning
Follow the rules of pruning when you can: make cuts as close to the parent limb as possible and angled so as not to catch rain. Major pruning should be done just before or just after winter dormancy is broken. The trees sudden spurt of growth helps the cuts to heal more quickly.
Once you have pruned the tree down to the desired height, you need to decide how wide you want it to be. Tackle the lowest limbs first and prune back lateral growth all around the tree at the same distance from the trunk on each limb. Remove all the branches that are dead or have insect damage.
Work upward, pruning each successive lateral layer a little closer to the trunk. Aim for a finished shape that suggests a cone.
Thinning Out an Unruly Tree
After you have corrected the overall shape, remove interior growth in areas that are too thick. However, do not trim off the little twigs that line the branches, because the fruit grows on these tiny laterals.
Make sure there is plenty of vertical space between limbs so sunlight can reach all leaves and fruit. Create about two feet of vertical space between limbs. Remove branches that are crowding too close to those above or below. The bottom limbs of the tree should be about 24 or 36 inches above ground level.
Fertilizing
Apply cow or chicken manure in a band around the tree along the drip line (where the shadow of the tree on the ground would stop if the sun were at 12 o'clock). This is where the feeder roots are concentrated.
Mulching
Lay a bed of mulch (old hay or bark mulch) from the base of the trunk to the drip line. This will help preserve moisture and and should be renewed as it rots to prevent weed growth.
Dispose of the Cut Branches
Make sure you dispose of the pruned-off wood, either by burning all these branches or by removing them completely from your property. The damaged limbs may house insects that will make their way back to your healthy tree.
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