When is best time to prune fruit trees

Question

I planted an apple tree and a plum tree last spring. When is the best time to prune and how much? The apple tree has branches coming out from the base.

Answer 1

For your apple tree, you want to cut those branches from the base every spring. They are suckers from the rootstock and will not grow to produce the same as the rest of the tree. They will only sap off the energy from the rest of the tree and will hurt fruit production.

As for regular pruning, these articles will help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/apples/pruning-apple-trees.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/plum/plum-tree-pruning.htm