Honey Crisp trees over produced - Ask Extension
Hi, I had a couple of Honey Crisp Apple trees that over produced even though I pruned this spring when they were the size of a grape. Unfortunately I ...
Knowledgebase
Honey Crisp trees over produced #890656
Asked December 09, 2024, 4:42 PM EST
Hi, I had a couple of Honey Crisp Apple trees that over produced even though I pruned this spring when they were the size of a grape. Unfortunately I was gone for the bulk of the summer and when I got back my apples were getting ripe but the weight of them cracked and broke some branches. My question is, should I prune these branches now in December? Wait for spring? And when I prune should I do something to the remaining branch?
Olmsted County Minnesota
Expert Response
While it’s nice to get a good harvest, bummer on the broken branches.
You can prune any jagged branch ends now but do your full pruning in late February/early March. When you prune, you can clean up the broken ends and shape your trees at the same time.
Honeycrisp apple trees tend to have a large harvest every three years. You said you ‘pruned’. What you want to do is thin the fruit which doesn’t prune branches - it just removes fruit and leaves 2-3 apples per branch.
Here is some more information caring for your trees.
