Step by step

1

REMOVE any growth that is inclining towards the centre. The overall finish is what is often described as a goblet, or a framework of four to five strong branches, which grow outwards from the central trunk.

2

CREATE good air circulation by thinning crowded shoots and removing any dead, diseased or crossing branches, so fungi and bacteria cannot get a stronghold. Prune branches back to a main stem.

3

FRUITING spurs are the swollen, short stems, filled with little buds that appear along lateral branches. These are the shoots you want to encourage. Reduce the length of last year’s long shoots to around three buds to encourage spurs.