Get rid of dead or damaged branches and keep the tree's size in check. If you look forward to harvesting fruit from your own apple trees to make jams, pies, and jars of apple butter, the first step is ...

Prune apple trees in late winter or early spring to prevent disease and help healing. Limit pruning to 25 percent of the tree to avoid too many new branches and less fruit. Remove broken, crossing, or ...

In February, before spring has arrived and the bugs are back out, it's a great time to do some yard maintenance. These trees benefit from a quick pruning.

Planting an apple tree at the right time and place ensures years of beauty, growth, and homegrown fruit. Spring planting is most effective in cooler regions, while fall planting is better suited for ...

Pruning cuts should be made close to the branch collar and not flush against the trunk. These are “thinning cuts” and the entire branch is removed from the tree. “Heading cuts” will remove only one ...

Before World War II, Iowa ranked among the top apple-producing states in the country. Today, researchers at Iowa State University are working to bring that legacy back, using modern orchard systems ...

The production of fruit trees relies critically on the careful selection and combination of rootstocks and cultivars. Rootstocks are used not only to control tree vigour and enhance nutrient uptake ...

Irrigation strategies in fruit tree production have emerged as a cornerstone for enhancing both the resilience and productivity of orchards in water‐scarce environments. Contemporary research has ...

Sara Serra is a native of Italy who spent 12 years researching apples at Washington State University before coming to Penn State last August.