ACTIONPLAN

Apple and pear trees are now fully dormant and are ready for winter pruning. The aim is to maintain a balanced, open structure and to reduce overcrowded branches.

Cordon and espalier trees usually need little attention, other than to thin fruiting spurs.

Those are the twiggy clusters that carry most of the fruit. Snip out any crowded twigs, leaving each spur with evenly-spaced twiglets.

With free-standing trees, begin by thinning any overcrowded branches.

If the tree has been neglected for some years, you may need to remove several branches, to let more air and sunlight into the crown.

Continue by removing suckers or ‘water shoots’ — young stems growing vertically from the spreading branches. On healthy trees, there will be few or none.

A stressed tree can carry many and may need further aid to restore it to health.

Finish the job by thinning congested fruiting spurs as described for the espaliers.

Winter pruning is usually minimal with healthy, well-maintained trees and can even be unnecessary.

So don’t prune just for pruning’s sake.