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New fruitseries
pruning
Garden solutions
Fruit-tree
pruning
Apple and pear trees benefit
from regular winter pruning
so that they continue to bear
good quality fruit. Follow this
simple approach to create a
RHS / Graham Titchmarsh
style, a large proportion of potential fruit is removed. branches it can crop well and take on a better shape. spread the work over two or three winters.
Science: importance of
health, light and air
Pruning in winter offers the opportunity to also remove
material that could potentially spread disease.
Light is needed to penetrate the leaf canopy
as fruits ripen and also to promote
ripening of young wood that will
lead to flower-bud formation, so
a crowded canopy of many
shoots should be thinned.
Congested branches and poor
air circulation favour some
pests and diseases.
Winter pruning offers an
opportunity to remove
diseased material and any
damaged wood, as this is
vulnerable to disease infection.
Ensure pruning cuts are neat and Use a pruning saw
made using sharp, clean tools to when removing
larger branches,
avoid damage.
cutting close to
Ch
The root system needs an outlet for its energy, and watershoots
S/
fungal disease that may girdle
RH
are produced as a result. Watershoots are strong, unbranched shoots
(pictured below) arising from dormant buds in the older wood. and kill young stems. If
possible, remove affected
A void stimulating any significant watershoot growth by aiming to
branches where the infected
remove only 10 to 20 percent of the total canopy in any one year.
area is often sunken and
R emove any watershoots growing on the trunk or the lower parts
covered with dead bark
of the main branches, by cutting them at the base.
showing concentric rings.
P rune out half of the watershoots (at the base of each shoot),
to achieve an even spacing and to open up the crown. To reduce the problems of
T ip-prune the remaining shoots, by removing the top quarter brown rot and blossom wilt,
to a third of their length, to remove any mummified fruit that
encourage these to branch. tend to stay hanging on the tree Apple canker, a
preferably with the piece of branch. fungal disease,
In the following year, remove can appear as a
another half of the remaining When fruit touches the bark, it sunken area of
watershoots. Keep the well- can transfer the disease dead bark.
placed shoots and, where they and cause further small
have branched, prune the infections (cankers).
branch leaders to an outward-
RHs / mark timothy