How to prune egremont russet apple

Mid-winter (December to February) while the tree is fully dormant. Remove dead, damaged, and crossing branches first. Then thin out congested spur systems by removing the oldest, weakest spurs to leave three to four well-spaced spurs per cluster. Shorten the previous year's lateral growth by around one-third to maintain the crown shape.

Annually every winter. Egremont Russet is a spur-bearing apple tree that needs annual winter pruning to maintain a productive, open framework. Prune to remove dead, diseased, or crossing branches and to thin congested fruiting spurs, which improves fruit size and air circulation. Left unpruned, spurs become overcrowded and fruit quality declines over time.

Remove dead, damaged, and crossing branches first. Then thin out congested spur systems by removing the oldest, weakest spurs to leave three to four well-spaced spurs per cluster. Shorten the previous year's lateral growth by around one-third to maintain the crown shape.