Do you remember what the fruit looked like? Is that brown sphere a mummified fruit? It almost looks like a crabapple from the growth habit. Or possibly growth from the root stock below the graft. (The big trunk which has gone would have been the actual cultivar.)

Yes, what floral said. That thing looks a mess, albeit the pruning you ask about could clear some of that up. Not sure it's worth it though, IMO. If it's a non-edible crab, as in sour, tiny, or otherwise unsuitable fruit, why mess with it? If you don't know, why is this such a priority?

So...basically, fruit production happens on branches with good exposure to sunlight. Additionally, fruit harvest is aided by an overall horizontal aspect to the fruiting branches. I see a lot of suckers, AKA water sprouts, both of which names really don't mean anything, but which are clogging up the structure of the plant, reducing sunlight to what could be fruitful branches, etc. So first and foremost, I'd get rid of a lot of them. Why not all, you might ask? Because this tree, and every tree in the world, responds to the loss of branches by trying to make new branches. so if you hit it too heavy, you'll really just be perpetuating the problem. I don't work in an orchard, but I have pruned a lot of fl. crabs in my time, and I always tried to leave any suckers that weren't 100% vertical, that occupied space where there wasn't already another perfectly fine branch, or which grew somewhat more horizontally. The rest I'd take out. Same with regular branches; Leave as many as you can, but do attempt to get rid of congestion in the tree's crown. An old saying was that if you pruned a fruit tree correctly, a bird should have no trouble flying right through it. I think that's too extreme, but it gives you some idea of what you're after.

Finally, there must be an orchard or two somewhere around you. Why not take a look at what those guys do. You will then see the strongly horizontal structure these folks strive for. Maybe talk to an orchardist. They'll know more about it then I do, even though I am an expert in most aspects of landscape tree care.

+oM

I am linking to an article on rejuvenation pruning by an American university. Yes, it can be pruned out if you are game to have a bit of patience, because to do it properly would mean investing two or three years into it, before you would see if the time and effort were worth expending.

I also see what looks to be a mummy fruit, but have no concept of scale on this photograph, as it looks to be on the far side of the tree, and that could make it appear smaller than it actually is. You want to assess your tree for basic health as well to the main trunk and branches. If it is an unhealthy tree, it may not be worth the effort. You shall probably end up removing at least 2/3rds of the branches, but you need to understand which ones, why and when.

Semi-dwarf trees can be had who will bear reasonably quickly and if you removed this one and planted one of those in its stead, you'll likely be getting apples just as quickly. If you've the room, you may wish to add a new tree anyway, and go ahead and attempt to bring this one back to life. You do understand apple trees need pollinators.

Here is a link that might be useful: rejuvenation pruning apple/Penn State extension

This post was edited by calliope on Tue, Jan 13, 15 at 16:05

pink??? pink floyd... is that you .. lol ...

anyone mention that big gaping wound down near the bottom ...??

are you guys really calling that cat on the fence.. a mummified fruit???? .. there is so much comedic potential there... lol ... click on the pic ... it opens a much larger pic ...

listen ..... if you are a renter... cut on it.. and learn ... there is little you can do.. to harm it ...

if this is your house.. and you plan on being there.. invest in a new tree ...

there is a very active fruit forum ... if you wish to entertain other opinions ...

good luck

ken

HEY!!!! .. teacher.. leave those kids alone ....

i meant to also say ....

perfecting apple growing.. must include about 3 to 5 sprayings during the growing season .... or the fruit will either fail and abort.. or be so ugly ... you wont know what to do with it ...

pruning alone.. is not going to get you a crop ...

and frankly.. by the time you invest in all the sprays.. and the sprayer.. you are going to have some rather expensive fruit ....

again.. that can all be explained in the fruit forum ....

if its a challenge you have set for yourself.. and you want to learn .... go for it ...

just dont be deluded into thinking you are ... EASILY.. going to get a free bushel of pretty apples for a little pruning ...

good luck, again ...

ken

Fruiting of course occurs without pruning as otherwise the trees would not be attempting to reproduce. Mal-pruning on the other hand can interfere with fruiting by cutting flowering wood off. Is this known to be a named cultivar that was planted there or did it grow from an apple that somebody threw over the wall, for instance? It doesn't look like it was trained by a nursery as the habit is forking right from the ground.

I'm inclined to think FloralUK may have hit the nail on the head-it looks like upon blowing up the photo-thank you Ken-this is indeed a part of the root stock growing up and around whatever scion wood remained at time of root suckering. Every apple suckers, even "own-root" varieties, and if neglected, this suckering can take on the appearance of being the actual tree. I'm pretty sure that's what we've got here.

OP, I seriously wouldn't put too much effort into this poor old beat-up thing. Unless, as Ken questions, you're issuing yourself some kind of challenge.

+oM