Apple tree spur pruning: maintain fruiting wood for maximum harvest

TL;DR

Spurs are short, thick twigs where apples grow. Keep them short (5-10 cm), remove competing long shoots beside them, and let old spurs age. Five centimetres of annual pruning per spur gives far more fruit than leaving everything long.

What are spurs exactly?

A spur is a very short, thick twig that grows from main branches. While long thin shoots (leaders) focus on leaf growth, spurs directly set flower buds and apples. A tree full of good spurs is a tree full of fruit.

The difference between a spur and a growth shoot is tangible. Put your fingers on a spur: thick, short, full of small nodules (those are flower buds). Put your fingers on a growth shoot: long, slender, with only leaves. Growth shoots are for the future. Spurs are for this year and next.

Apple trees build their spur network over two to four years. A young two-year tree has almost no spurs. A ten-year tree has hundreds.

How spurs form and develop

It starts with a growth shoot you do not remove. Over two years that shoot produces lateral growth. The lateral growth becomes progressively shorter, and in year three you have a small, thick twig with six or seven buds. That is your first spur.

If you then prune a bit off that spur each year (simply back to a side shoot on the spur itself), it will flower and fruit every year. A well-maintained spur can produce fruit for thirty years.

This is why fruit pruning is different from ornamental pruning. With ornamentals you want only growth. With fruit trees you want less growth and more flowers.

The types of pruning you do with spurs

Spur maintenance: Cut the spur a few centimetres back to a side shoot on the spur itself. This gives the spur room to lay down new flower buds next year.

Spur building: If there are not yet spurs, help the tree make them by cutting growth shoots short so they branch and make spurs.

Spur selection: From multiple possible spurs, choose one to keep and remove competing shoots beside it.

Step by step spur pruning

Step 1: Find your spurs

This is hardest for beginners. Walk along all main branches of your tree. Look at the part of the branch that has existed for two or three years (not the soft, new growth at the tip). There you see short, thick twigs. These are your spurs.

A spur feels different. Put your hand on it: thick, firm, full of small buds. A growth shoot feels thin and slender.

In October when leaves are off, you can see all the buds. Large, fat buds are flower buds (they give apples). Small, pointed buds are leaf buds. Spurs have many large buds.

Step 2: Prune carefully and correctly

Pruning a spur means working carefully. With a sharp pruning knife (not a saw) cut the spur back. The goal is to cut just beyond a side shoot on the spur. That side shoot becomes your new growth carrier next year.

Find a small sideways twig on the spur. Cut just above that twig. Not too much away (you damage the flower buds), not too little (you leave growth for nothing).

Step 3: Remove competing shoots

This is most important. Beside your nice spur often sit other shoots wanting to grow. A long thin shoot, or another spur, or a growth leader. All that competition means your spur does not perform well.

Remove all shoots within ten centimetres of your spur except the spur itself. This gives your spur room and energy to lay down flowers.

Step 4: Let old spurs age

This sounds strange, but your oldest spurs are your best spurs. A ten-year-old spur that is still healthy is more valuable than a hundred new spurs. Keep as many old spurs as you can.

Only if a spur becomes truly old and worn (hollow, full of scars) should you think about replacing it. But that takes years.

Different pruning styles for spurs

Cordon pruning: Everything removed except one horizontal main branch. All spurs hang from it. This gives much fruit in little space. Hard work, but very productive. Much used in France and Belgium for small gardens.

Palmette pruning: Multiple horizontal branches, regularly spaced. As intensive as cordon pruning, but less visibly difficult. Much used in Dutch orchards.

Open center: Little pruning beyond winter. Spurs grow naturally. Lighter work, less fruit, but easier.

For home gardeners? I recommend open center with some spur maintenance. Not as intensive as cordon, but still plenty of fruit.

Spur death: the big problem

Sometimes a nice spur suddenly dies. The flower buds look normal, but in spring they do not break. This is called spur death, and it is weakening from too much competition or conditions.

Prevention: do not let too many shoots grow in the same place. Make sure spurs have enough room. Water regularly in drought. A weakened spur you do not get back to full vigour, so remove it and start a new one.

Old trees and new spurs

A thirty-year tree has many old spurs that get tired. They still fruit, but not as much. This is ageing.

The solution: gradual rejuvenation. Each year remove a few very old spurs and build new ones. Over five years this gives your tree new energy.

Do not remove everything at once, as harvest drops and the tree loses balance.

Varieties and their spur behaviour

Elstar: Very regular spur former. Lots of natural spurs. Almost no special care needed.

Gala: Somewhat fewer natural spurs. More pruning needed to build enough spurs.

Cox: Difficult spur former. Short distances between nodes, many small spurs. Light pruning works better than heavy.

Braeburn: Strong spur former, but thick spurs. Needs more room or they become too dense.

Pink Lady: Slow to make spurs, but when they are there very productive. Patience in first years.

Frequently asked questions

How long before new spurs produce fruit?

A growth shoot you prune back to spur formation takes two years to set its first full flowers. In year three you get your first apples. Be patient in years one and two.

Can you prune spurs too short?

Yes. Cutting to two centimetres from the branch is really too short. You damage the flower buds. Cutting to four to six centimetres is safe. Better to leave a bit long than too short.

What if your tree has almost no spurs?

Then your pruning style starts with spur building. This means cutting all growth shoots short (to fifty centimetres) so they decide to branch and make spurs. This takes two to four years, but after that your tree is productive.

Can you prune spurs in summer?

Minimal pruning: only remove dead or diseased spurs. But intensive spur pruning is for winter. In summer you have less control and only stimulate unnecessary growth.

The secret of many apples

Much fruit does not come from strong growth. It comes from old wood and many spurs. A tree with a hundred old, healthy spurs gives you more apples than a tree that keeps growing.

This is why short pruning (for spurs) works much better than long pruning (for growth). With this system you will see your harvest double after three years.

At [gardenworld.app](https://gardenworld.app) you can see how your tree would grow with well-maintained spurs. Upload a photo and see the transformation.