Trees go dormant between December and February. They have lost all their leaves, and entered their dormancy period. During that time, growers prepare them for the coming cycle. They prune any unnecessary branches to make sure they are evenly distributed and to give the tree vigour.

Pruning apple trees allows for the selection of the branches that will bear the largest fruit and to offer them maximum sunlight exposure.

This phase is extremely time-consuming and requires up to 150 hours of work, in other words, just as much as the harvesting phase.