By Nocka
United Kingdom 
Hi people, I have recently moved into a new house that has two apple trees,they are quite stragly as they were surrounded by large tall bushes so straining for light,I was wondering if they could be coppiced/pruned back quite hard to get them back to a more sensible size and when to do it if so?
Mant thanks
29 Apr, 2012
Answers
Could the surrounding bushes be cut lower too maybe? Are these apple trees meant to be full size ones or on limiting rootstock? If they are pruned low and the bushes stay high they might be even worse off. They may be straggly because they have never been pruned properly since planting. You summer prune extensions after fruiting and prune in the winter, before bud break, to neaten up the shape of a tree, if needed. If you want, you can take them back a lot and take it from there.
29 Apr, 2012
Welcome to Goy by the way Nocka!
29 Apr, 2012
i would take out the bushes and prune your tree as said in octoberish or febuary ish to a reachable hight making the apples easy to get at . just look up and orchird .welcome to bye the way lol .
1 May, 2012
id definatly leave some buds on them as these will become the new branches .
1 May, 2012
Many thanks guys, I have already cut the surrounding bushes down to just a few feet, but didn't want to cut the trees back to far so as to damage them,but they do need to be pruned pretty hard to get to reachable height, so it looks like i'll be busy after this years harvest. Thanks for the welcome's as well folks!
1 May, 2012
your welcome .
1 May, 2012
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We have 3 apple trees and we prune them back after the apples have finished and/or before winter (usually around October)
29 Apr, 2012