Apples and pears: winter pruning

Apple and pear trees trained as free-standing bushes are best pruned every winter to ensure a
good cycle of fruiting wood. Trees that are not pruned become less productive and congested
with old branches. The aim is to create an open goblet shape with a framework of four to five
main branches.

Suitable for...
Winter pruning is used for apples and pears grown as
free-standing bush or standard trees after the initial
framework of branches is formed.

For pruning one- and two-year-old trees see our page

on pruning young apples and pears.

Restricted forms such as espaliers, cordons, fans

and pyramids are managed with summer pruning,
although some pruning is done in winter in their
formative training.

When to winter prune apples and

pears
Pruning should be carried out when the tree is dormant,
between leaf fall and bud burst (usually between November and early March).

How to winter prune apples and pears

Traditionally spur- and tip- bearing trees were pruned in different ways. However, current
pruning techniques are very similar for both as it does not involve the rigorous routine
shortening of all young growth.

To start with

 Always use sharp secateurs, loppers and a pruning saw

 Start by removing crossing, rubbing, weak, dead, diseased, damaged and dying
branches

Then

 Shorten the previous year’s growth on each main branch (primary) by about one third
to a bud facing in the required direction. This will encourage the development of new
branches and spurs and maintain a good shape
 Leave young laterals (side-shoots) unpruned so they can develop fruit buds in the
second year
  Only remove the young laterals if they are crossing or if the growth is too crowded,
i.e. growing closer than 10-15cm (4-6in) at the base
 Remove strong shoots (great than 15cm (6in) long) growing towards the centre of the
tree
 On older trees, remove/thin out any spur systems that have become congested. Where
thinning or removal is required, remove spurs on the underside of the braches, where
the developing fruit will not receive enough light, and produces inferior fruit
 If a tip- or partial tip-bearer, cut back a proportion of older fruited branches to a
strong younger shoot positioned closer to the to the main trunk/higher up the branch.
This will reduce congestion and prevent branches becoming overlong

If not regularly pruned for a while

 Open the centre of the tree by removing larger branches at point of origin with a sharp
pruning saw. If several large branches need to be removed, spread the work over two
or three winters as very hard pruning encourages even more vigorous regrowth
 Reduce the height and spread of any branches that have grown too large by cutting
them back to a vigorous outward and upward facing lower side branch (making sure
this lower branch is at least one-third of the diameter of the branch being removed)

Young tree in early autumn

before winter pruning Cut back young laterals to five or six buds
Prune out badly placed or competing laterals After pruning the tree should have an open
centre with about five main branches

The diagram shows winter pruning on a mature spur

bearing apple tree

Suggested Pruning Cuts

A. Suckers.
B. Stubs or broken branches.
C. Downward-growng branches
D. Rubbing or criss-crossing branches
E. Shaded interior branches
F. Competing leaders
G. Narrow crotches
H. Whorls
Problems
Hopefully, if you stick to our five tips above, not too much will go wrong.

But getting up close and personal with your fruit tree might mean you spot other problems so
here's what to do if you find;

 Grey/green crusty growths on the branches - this is lichen which is harmless to your
tree and does not require any action
 Shrivelled, 'mummified' fruit clinging onto the shoots - these will have been infected
with brown rot in the autumn and should be pruned out and binned or burned
 Dark, flaky, shrunken patches on some branches which may be dead beyond the
patches - this is apple canker and affected shoots and branches are best cut out unless
it is in a major limb or the main trunk
 Brown and shrivelled blossoms and die back of flowered shoot tips in late spring and
early summer is caused by the disease blossom wilt
 A lot of dead branches with no apparent cause - this is a worrying sign as it may mean
the tree has an underlying root problem such as honey fungus. If the dieback
continues you may want to get it looked at by a professional arborist or send samples
to Gardening Advice (RHS members only)
 Cavities in the main trunk or branches - old apple and pears trees can develop natural
cavities that sometimes fill with water. This is not necessarily a problem and may be
quite stable (i.e. not get worse or cause the tree to be unsafe). Do not drill into trees to
drain water from cavities as this could allow disease to enter. If the cavity is getting
noticeably larger, the tree looks in poor health and/or a bracket fungus appears on the
stem, it is time to seek professional advice from an arborist
Hazelnuts (Cobnuts) and filberts - Pruning and training -
Pruning new plants

Cobnuts and filberts grow on their own roots so you do not need to worry about
rootstock selection. They are usually bought in as one year old whips which are
straight up and down with no branches.

1. Prune the leader to the height of 45cm (18in) in the winter after it has been
planted
2. The following summer it will produce laterals (sideshoots). Remove any
shoots growing low down on the main stem and any other laterals that are
badly placed. Well-placed laterals should be shortened by a third
3. The following winter, remove any excessively strong, upright growth. To
create a well-balanced framework, tip prune the sideshoots
4. The shape you are aiming for should be open centred with no more than eight
to ten leaders growing upwards and outwards
5. Stop (remove the tip of) the main laterals when they reach a height of 1.8-
2.1m (6-7ft), cutting them back to a bud or weak lateral. This will encourage
sideshoots which will bear the catkins and flowers

Pruning established plants

Summer pruning: In August to get established bushes to crop heavier, growers use a
technique called "brutting". By hand, break the longer side-shoots of this season's
growth by bending in half but leave the broken section hanging on. This opens up the
bush and lets in the light to encourage more female flowers to form on the weaker
growth. It also reduces vigour.

Winter pruning: Winter pruning is undertaken to remedy congested growth. The

ideal time to winter prune cobnuts and filberts is when the catkins are releasing their
pollen. The disturbance will release more pollen and increase the rate of pollination.

1. Shorten the brutted branches from the summer to three or four buds
2. Leave the short twiggy weak growth alone as this mainly carries the female
flowers
3. On mature bushes remove up to a third of old or overcrowded shoots. Cut
them right back leaving only a 2.5cm (1in) stub; new branches will re-grow
from this point
4. Keep the centre open and free of inward-growing shoots
5. Remove any suckers from the base of the tree

Wallnuts - Pruning and training

Walnut trees can be grown with a central leader. Alternatively, prune to encourage the
production of side shoots by removing the leader - this also restricts the size of the
tree. The side shoots should be pinched at the fifth or sixth leaf to encourage the tree
to bush. Regular pruning is unnecessary but, if required, remove dead or crossed
 branches. Pruning should be undertaken between mid-summer and early autumn as
walnuts are prone to 'bleeding' (sap oozing from the pruning cut). Hard pruning is not
tolerated.

Sweet Chestnut - Lightly prune

Sweet chestnuts should be pruned when they are dormant (during the autumn or winter). No
regular pruning is necessary. Remove diseased, damaged, congested or crossing shoots.
Shoots that are growing in unwanted directions can also be pruned out. After pruning,
mulch and feed.

Plums: pruning
Plum trees do not require as precise pruning as apples and pears, but still benefit from
initial training and the thinning of old wood to ensure they produce as much fruit as
possible. Plums are pruned in early spring or mid summer to avoid infection by silver
leaf disease.

When to prune plums

Avoid pruning plums in winter, as it increases the risk of infection by silver leaf
disease to which plums and other Prunus species are prone. The best time for pruning
is usually spring for young trees and mid-summer for established ones.

How to prune plums

There are three commonly used methods of pruning plums: bush, pyramid and fan.

Bush

The bush is perhaps the most popular method of training and pruning and creates an
open-centred tree with a clear stem of 75cm (2½ft). Its ultimate size will depend on
the rootstock it is grown on. Trees grafted onto ‘Pixy’ rootstocks will reach 3m (10ft),
‘St. Julien A’ 3.6-4.5m (13-15ft) and the ‘Brompton’ and
‘Myrobalan B’ 6m (20ft).

The overall aim of pruning is to create an open-centred tree. This begins with the
same formative pruning as apples and pears but, importantly, carried out in early
spring.

On established trees, rub out any buds developing on the lower trunk and carefully
pull off suckers arising from the rootstock. Pruning is mostly limited to removing
crossing, weak, vertical and diseased material. If the plum tree is still crowded then
further thinning can be done in July.

Pyramid plums
A pyramid plum tree is considerably smaller than a pruned a bush, and this makes it
practical to net against birds. Plums on ‘St. Julien A’ rootstocks are kept to 2.4m (8ft)
and on ‘Pixy’ rootstocks to 1.8m (6ft).

The pruning of a newly planted tree is the same as for apples and pears. Remember:
carried out in April not winter to avoid silver leaf disease.

Afterwards the initial pruning, follow these steps:

 During the first summer, prune in the third week of July when the young
shoots have finished growing. Shorten new branches to 20cm (8in), cutting
above a downward or outward-pointing bud. Also cut side branches back to a
bud at 15cm (6in). Train and tie in the central leader to the stake
 In subsequent years during April, shorten the central leader by two-
thirds. Repeat annually until the tree has reached 2.4m (8ft) on a ‘St. Julien A’
rootstock, or 1.8m (6ft) for ‘Pixy’, after which, shorten the central leader to
2.5cm (1in) or less each May, to keep the tree at the same height
 Vertical shoots at the top competing with the central leader should be removed
in late June

Fan training

A fan-shaped tree is created by training against a wall or fence with horizontal wires
fixed 15cm (6in) (or two brick courses) apart. Trees can be bought as maidens, or
partly trained. Expect the height and spread of trees on ‘Pixy’ rootstock to be 3m
(10ft) high by 2m (6½ft) spread and trees on ‘St. Julian A’ to be 3.6m (12ft) by 2.4m
(8ft).