Regrowth, Flowering, and Fruit Quality of ‘Delicious’ Apple Trees as Influenced by Summer Pruning1

Vigorous, young trees of ‘Topred Delicious’ apple ( Malus domestica Borkh.) either dormant-pruned or left unpruned at the end of the previous season, were summer-pruned at 8, 12, 16, or 20 weeks after full bloom (WAFB) by thinning, heading, or stubbling current season to 2-year-old shoots. The amount of new growth following summer pruning (regrowth) was influenced by the date of pruning; late pruning (20 WAFB) generally produced less regrowth than earlier pruning (8 WAFB). Regrowth also varied with moisture conditions during 2 growing seasons. Severe heading or stubbing of vigorous vegetative shoots to 2 or 3 nodes resulted in flower bud initiation on some spurs produced from axillary buds on these stubs. The degree of fruit bud initiation was related to time of pruning and moisture supply. Summer pruning generally increased the percentage of sunburned fruit harvested, but there was no consistent effect on fruit size, color, flesh firmness, or soluble solids.