Prune apple trees
Gather up your secateurs, longhandled pruners and a pruning saw to start winter pruning your apple trees. Cut out damaged branches or any that are growing inwards or crossing. Leave young side branches to mature on the horizontal boughs, but cut back last year’s main growth by a third, particularly on the branches growing straight up. Next, thin out the fruiting spurs where they have become crowded, especially the lower ones that don’t get much light.
Always cut above outward-facing buds, to keep the centre of the tree open. If you need to remove a larger bough, make a short vertical cut under the branch first, to prevent it snagging when you saw it down from above.