Pruning apple trees

Hi all.

I have an awesome apple tree. It's on dwarf rootstock (I think) so it's only about 6ft high but it's very bushy. It produces loads of fruit.

Trouble is, lots of its branches come out more or less horizontal from very low down, and with those branches bending under the weight of apples at this time of year the lower branches often end up resting on the lawn.

Are there any tips and tricks for pruning it without upsetting it's fruit production?

It's a fairly early variety, all the apples will be off by about the second week of September.

 

I'd either prune off the lower branches in Feb/March, flush with the trunk, or just use strong forked stakes to support them. The first option should encourage the tree to grow upwards, but a lot depends on the variety.