The Apple Club Newsletter, Winter 2005, Page 4

Apple scab, which causes black scars on the apples, and black spots on the leaves, was quite severe this year. The simplest way to minimise it next year is to rake up all your apple leaves now, and place them in the compost heap, preferably then covering with other leaves or garden or household material. In doing this, you are breaking the life cycle of the scab, which infects new leaves in the spring from infections on old leaves lying under the apple tree.
If you are planning to prune your apple trees, you can do so from now on. There are many manuals and books on pruning, and as it is difficult, it is worth getting one of these, perhaps in the book section of your local garden centre.
As a general guide, if there has been a lot of new growth in the past season (more than 40cm added to each branch), then only a light pruning will suffice, as pruning such trees will stimulate even more growth next year, at the expense of fruiting. On the other hand, if very little growth has occurred in the past season (less than 10cm added to each branch), then the trees need to have more wood removed, to stimulate extra growth and good quality fruit. Remember, when pruning, do not cut a branch half way back. Either remove it fully, cutting back to where it forks or meets the stem, or let it remain.

In Your Garden