How to prune pink lady apple

Late winter (January to February) while fully dormant. Remove dead, diseased, and crossing branches first. Thin older spur clusters to three to four productive spurs per group. Shorten the previous season's lateral growth by one-third and remove any vigorous, upright shoots (water shoots) that shade the centre of the tree.

Annually every winter. Pink Lady (Cripps Pink) is a spur-bearing apple tree that requires annual winter pruning to keep fruiting spurs productive and the canopy open for air and light. Without pruning, spur systems become overcrowded, fruit size diminishes, and disease risk rises. It responds well to standard open-centre or central-leader pruning.

Remove dead, diseased, and crossing branches first. Thin older spur clusters to three to four productive spurs per group. Shorten the previous season's lateral growth by one-third and remove any vigorous, upright shoots (water shoots) that shade the centre of the tree.