THE KINDEST CUTS OF ALL

Want healthy, productive fruit trees? Then you’d better start pruning now, says Monty Don

With two exceptions, all pruning of top fruit (fruit grown on trees rather than bushes) should, ideally, be completed by the end of this month. The exception are plums and cherries, which have a nasty tendency to ‘bleed’ sap if pruned now, so it is best to prune them in mid-summer – and then only when absolutely necessary. But for apples, pears and quinces now is a good time to really look at why you prune and what the consequences of it are, to maximise both the health of your fruit trees and their productivity.

There are two reasons for pruning now. The first is to remove any damaged wood or any that is growing in the wrong place – and by that I mean across a path or causing too much shade or starting to damage another perfectly good branch.

The second reason is to let light and air into what can otherwise become a very crowded, dense tangle of branches. For best fruit production and ease of harvesting, as well as aesthetic appeal, it is best to train trees into an open structure like that of a basket or wine glass, with the trunk as the stem.

Start by dealing with any obvious damage. Cut back to healthy wood just above another side branch or bud. If two branches are crossing and rubbing against each other, one or both of them will inevitably develop an open wound that is a likely entry point for bacterial or fungal disease, so one of the crossing branches should be cut back. Before cutting, always try to stand back and assess what the resulting shape and structure of the tree will be like after the cut.

Ventilation is the best prevention against fungal problems such as scab, powdery mildew or rust, so thin the branches so that plenty of light and air can get in and through the tree. With smaller trees I start by cutting back everything growing inwards so that the centre is completely open. With larger standards or semi-standards – trees grown on vigorous rootstocks, resulting in a large tree on a substantial trunk – you can have a series of open spaces, but a good rule of thumb is to imagine a bird flying through from one side of the tree to the other without having to break its stride, so to speak.

Most apple trees are spur forming. This means that the fruit is made on the knobbly side shoots or spurs that grow laterally from the branches. These take three or even four years to develop so should not be cut off. In fact, you can usually tell which ones are ready to bear fruit because they will have a

slight swelling at their base. To aid their development, anything that you can prune with secateurs or loppers should always be cut back to a side bud rather than flush with the stem of another branch. This bud will then develop into a fruiting spur.

And finally, remember that this winter pruning will inevitably result in lots of new shoots, some of which you can then leave to become future structural branches, but none of which will bear any fruit for a few years.

BASIC RULES OF PRUNING

Always cut back to something – ideally a side branch or shoot.

Make your larger cuts at an angle so that water runs off the wound.

Never paint or cover wounds, as this will only seal in possible disease. Let them heal naturally.

Always use sharp tools – this is better for the tree because it makes a cleaner cut, and safer for you as it is much more controllable. A good pair of secateurs and a small, sharp saw should cover most eventualities.

Remember that winter pruning stimulates lots of regrowth but summer pruning restricts it.

Monty pruning one of his apple trees