Summer prune apple trees

Pruning the new sideshoots on espalier and cordon-trained apples exposes the ripening fruit to the sun and encourages future fruit buds to form. This should be done every year, around mid-August.

Select shoots that are more than 20cm long, and cut them back to three buds above the fruit truss. Also cut back any vigorous vertical shoots at the top.

Cut your shoots just above a leaf node to avoid any die back