Pruning Apple Trees

We signed for the property Dec. 2, 2005 and moved in completely Feb. 1, 2006.  Middle of winter not ideal for moving but we did it anyway.  Its also not the time to see how many apple trees are going very close to the house.  So at that time we had no idea we would have such wonderful apples to harvest each year.  Honestly with all the huge pine trees that had taken over around the house we didn't even really know there were so many yummy apple trees here.

 
At first we really did not pay much attention the trees other then they were apple trees so they were spared in our clearing out around the house.  We were too busy getting things done here.  We had a new baby (our first), we were newlyweds and getting a manageable hold on our fixer upper house was taking all our times so apples really were not the priority. 
With in a few years we started noticing the apples and the color was not all just red but yellow and green ones too and the taste....Delicious!  Needless to say the apples became part of our regular harvest.

Harvesting the Macintosh Tree.  Its tall!

One of the yellow apple trees by the house.  Too Tall!

Harvesting them was not an easy task at all though.  Over years of neglect the trees have grown out of control.  Just to reach the bottom limbs on the Macintosh tree it took all 3 extensions of our roof rake attached the apple picker we made using a basket form a drop light and a broom handle......these trees are tall. 

Trying to keep one of our smaller apple trees from becoming the giants the rest have grown to be. 

Each year we say we are going to prune them and each year we run out of time for one reason or another.  Then last fall happened and we were a crazy busy family with so much happening that the apples all pretty much had to fall to be harvested.  With lots of critters both ours and the wild ones we barely got any of a very good harvest year.  I literally had to buy apples just to make a pie.  That was the last time for that!  With temps nearing 50 degrees (in Jan?!?) the Hubby headed out to get the job done.  We will need to keep after these trees now and hopefully we will also be able to prune enough top out of them to get them down to a manageable height before we are too old to get up there on ladders.

This is our Granny Smith Apple Tree.  It did not come with a tag on it when we bought the property but judging from the taste and the fact the the big apples stay green guess they must be Granny Smith?  They sure make a great pie either way.

We know it will take a few years to trim the trees down with out harming them but this is a step in a much needed direction.
And don't worry we are not wasting all those limbs.  One good thing leads to another and right now we have some very happy goats.  They are stripping the bark of them fast as we can put them in there.