Lifestyle tutoring takes the front once again, as the tutor mentions some observations about this season’s apple harvest.

I’m no pruning expert, but I do know some principles about it. Normally I prune the apple tree during winter.

Last year, pruning escaped me. Ironically, part of the reason might have been that we had so much snow, pruning simply couldn’t be done a couple of times I thought of it. When next I contemplated it, leaves were already budding, so I left it.

The growing season put a bumper crop on the apple tree this year: several of its branches sank to the ground, heavy with fruit. I went out to pick them September 18: see my post here.

Harvesting the apples, I noticed some trends which were likely more evident due to my lack of pruning:

1. The upward-pointing branches didn’t produce any apples – none at all.
2. In places where the branches were crowded, the apples were thick, but much more likely to be damaged by pests.

Of course, one key mandate of pruning is to eliminate crowding – now I see why. Normally, I would likely have pruned the upward-pointing branches, since they’re harder to pick apples from anyway.

BTW: the apples aren’t all picked yet, but most have been. They’re not falling off yet.

I must remember to prune this winter:)

Jack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane, Campbell River, BC.