Our crabapple tree has decent growth developing on the ends of branches, but is thin.

Sep 21, Prune 'Tina' crabapples to control their size and keep them healthy, working in the late winter to early spring before the trees leaf out. Check your 'Tina' crabapple for dead, diseased or damaged branches. Diseased and damaged wood can be discolored, bruised or wounded, show oozing sap, or appear otherwise different from healthy branches nearby. Dec 23, However, they can be pruned anytime, and if you want to preserve the total flower show for spring, do it immediately after blooming is complete this spring.

Consider the following reasons to prune before you begin: 1. Prune dead, broken and diseased branches. 2. Correct structural defects. As they are spring bloomers, prune crabapples directly after flowering to reduce the risk of cutting off the developing buds. Pruning at the wrong time can result in no blooms the following year. Apr 21, The best time of year to prune a crabapple tree is during the later winter or early spring season.

This is when the plant is dormant and the new leaves have not yet emerged and begun shrubmulching.barted Reading Time: 5 mins.