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Pruning Prairie Spy Apple Treet #926907

Asked March 27, 2026, 1:43 PM EDT

Good afternoon. The attached photo is of our Prairie Spy apple tree which is 15 years old. We had it professionally pruned in 2025 and it grew all kinds of suckers and was so thick we could not see through the tree. We also had very few blossoms/apples. My husband is attempting to prune it himself today but we are unsure what to do with all the straight branches (I’m referring to as suckers) on the top. Can you tell us if they should be pruned? We do not want the tree to grow taller.

St. Louis County Minnesota

Expert Response

Hi Anita,

Your photo didn't come through. You shouldn't prune the tree a lot if it was pruned last year, but any new branches that are going straight up can be removed. The interior of the canopy should not be crowded with branches; there should be plenty of space so that air circulation is good. 

This web page should help.

https://extension.umn.edu/growing-apples/pruning-and-training-apple-trees

Good luck.

MJ Replied March 27, 2026, 5:30 PM EDT

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