Tip of the Month August 2007

Mid-summer pruning of Crabapples

July and August is the time to prune any crabapple that needs some pruning. The flower buds for Crabapples that we enjoy first thing in the spring are formed in July and August of the previous year. If one can have their pruning done by late summer, the next year’s blooms should still be spectacular. One thing to note is that if your plant has had fire blight (a bacterial disease that affects these trees) you must sterilize your pruners between each cut.

The new varieties of crabapples have persistent fruit so that the fruit hangs on through the winter. This is generally less of a mess as the fruit is smaller and is eaten by birds or other animals before it drops to the ground. Crabapples are extremely hardy and provide lots of color to our landscape in Colorado. Some varieties not only have colorful flowers, they also have colorful fruit and foliage.