Restorative winter pruning advice for older apple trees

Winter presents apple producers with a crucial window for restorative pruning, particularly for older blocks that are experiencing declining yields and increased disease pressure.

By addressing structural issues now, enhancing light penetration, airflow, and renewal growth, growers can set their orchards up for another successful harvest after a bumper 2025 crop, according to Ryan Williams.

“When you want to approach an apple tree for winter pruning, whether it’s young or old, it is essential to know the story of the tree,” says Ryan. “It helps you to make good pruning decisions.

“You should consider the age, variety and rootstock of the tree. We also need to factor in the previous crop yield which, for most orchards this year, means a very heavy crop.”

Biennial bearing

Biennial bearing is an important factor for some cultivars, such as Cox and Braeburn, as they approach the next season, warns Ryan. Biennial bearing refers to the tendency of a tree to produce a light crop following a high-yielding year. It results from the tree exhausting excessive resources to produce a large crop in one year, leaving it less capable of doing so the following year. 

“Growers want uniformity and consistency in output across years, and biennial bearing can be a real challenge to that. A well-measured approach to pruning can help mitigate the risks associated with biennial bearing.”

When it comes to pruning, Ryan reminds growers to look out for the four ‘Ds’ of pruning: diseased, damaged, dead or dangling branches.

“Diseased, damaged, or dead should be self-explanatory. Dangling means any downward-facing branches below waist height. Fruit from buds at that height will struggle to access sunlight and be uneconomical to harvest.

“In most situations, doing this annually should be enough to maintain its condition for the next season. However, if you come across a poorly performing tree, it should be at the forefront of our minds that it will be a gradual process to bring that tree back to profitability.

“Removing too much wood at once is harmful. It could take two to three years to restore a tree to a good structure, free of disease and damage.”    

Reducing disease pressure

A key factor when pruning is to ensure the size and structure of the tree is maintained, adds Ryan. A well-designed A-frame architecture will allow light to pass through the canopy to the fruit buds. It will also reduce disease pressure by allowing air movement to dry leaves and reduce humidity in the canopy.

Ryan explains: “One of the best things we can do, even before we start thinking about fungicide or insecticide applications, is to see if we can open the canopy up to allow greater light penetration and air movement.

“A more open canopy will also permit better spray penetration when we are spraying the crop in the season. There is no point spraying fungicides or insecticides into a wall of leaves that doesn’t allow them to penetrate deeper into the canopy.” 

He says that the presence of lichen or moss on branches is a telling indication that not enough light and air flow is getting through the canopy, and pruning could be an effective measure to reduce disease pressure next season.

Additionally, hygiene when pruning is crucial for preventing the spread of disease, especially apple canker, between crops or orchards. Equipment should always be disinfected between orchards, and this consideration should also be applied when moving from diseased to healthy trees within an orchard. Diseased branches should also be removed from the orchard and disposed of, rather than mulching them in the grass alley, advises Ryan.

It is also recommended not to prune in wet conditions, as this can facilitate disease infection. Ryan acknowledges that this can be a challenge in the winter, but it is good practice.

“A general guide is that 10–20% of the tree is removed, but the best pruning happens when each tree is treated individually and pruned according to its needs. As well as the pruning itself, it is also an excellent opportunity for growers to assess the health of their trees,” he concludes. 

About our expert

Ryan Williams joined Agrii’s fruit team in January 2024 after spending more than 10 years with Avalon Fresh on the top fruit marketing desk.

Kent-based Ryan specialises in top and stone fruit, and since joining Agrii has taken full advantage of its training programmes to expand his skill set in elements such as soils and sustainable production systems. 

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