Pruning

When’s the best time to prune a tree?

As a ruletrees should be pruned when dormant (winter) as it’s better for rapid growthand easier assessment.

You can prunelarger trees in summer once fruit appear. This enables sunlight to reach deepinto the foliage, improving fruit quality.

Trees suitedto summer pruning include cherry and plum (Apr-Jul), walnut and magnolia(Jul-Oct) and birch (Oct-Jan).

Autumnpruning confuses the tree, triggering new growth during dormancy preparation.

Rules of pruning

-         Prunewhen dormant (exceptions apart)

-         Don’tcut branches flush to their stem

-         Pruneweakest branches first

-         Ensureyou cut at a 45 degree angle to the branch

-         Pruneany low shoots (i.e. beneath canopy)

-         Removelarge branches in sections

-         Aimfor an open, goblet-shaped crown when pruning fruit trees

-         Removeabout a third of the branches

-         Horizontalbranches bear most fruit

-         Smalltrees require minimal pruning

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