I've got 5 Ballerina apple trees. The two oldest ones are about 20 years old now. They have many lateral branches with their own branches. How do I prune them? I'm afraid that I may lose the buds that apples grow from. Thanks.

Hi Daphne, you can prune the upright, tall branches of your trees. The fruit grows from the lateral side spurs. With the lateral side branches, prune them lightly, as this is where your flower buds and fruit will come from. The best time to prune these side branches is as soon as the fruit have been harvested. Happy gardening from the Tui Team.