Neglected and overgrown trees
An old apple or pear that hasn't been pruned for years is renovated over two or three winters. Taking it all back at once shocks the tree into a mass of water shoots and few fruit.
Fruit tree pruning Apple, pear, plum & cherry
Every fruit tree has its own season for pruning and its own way of fruiting. We prune apples, pears, plums, cherries and the rest at the right time, the right way, for a healthy tree and a better crop.
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Fruit
Fruit tree pruning in short
Clearcut prunes fruit trees across Dorset, Hampshire and south Wiltshire: apples and pears in winter while they are dormant (and trained forms in summer), and plums, cherries and other stone fruit in summer only, to avoid silver leaf and bacterial canker. We take out dead, diseased, damaged and crossing wood, open the centre to light and air, and keep the tree to a size you can pick from, never taking more than the tree can recover from in one year.
- Apples and pears
- November to early March, plus summer pruning for trained trees
- Plums and cherries
- June to August, when the tree is in growth
- How much
- Usually no more than a fifth of the crown in a year
- Old trees
- Renovated gently over two or three winters
- Who does it
- Qualified arborists, from the ground, a ladder or a platform. No chainsaws on ladders
When to prune your fruit tree
Pick a fruit. The calendar shows when we prune it, and why.
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- Winter pruning
- Summer pruning
Apples are pruned in winter, while the tree is dormant and you can see every branch. Trained apples (cordons, espaliers and fans) are pruned again in late summer to keep their shape.
- Dead, diseased and crossing branches out first
- The centre opened to light and air, for colour and fewer fungal problems
- Overcrowded fruiting spurs thinned on older trees
- Tip-bearing varieties, such as Worcester Pearmain, pruned more lightly so next year's fruit buds stay on
- Canker cut back to clean wood and taken away
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- Winter pruning
- Summer pruning
Pears are pruned like apples, in winter for free-standing trees and in summer for trained forms. They tolerate harder pruning than apples, but grow very upright, so the aim is to keep the branches spreading and the tree to a height you can pick from.
- Upright shoots taken out or shortened to an outward bud
- Spur systems thinned, as pears produce spurs freely
- Height brought down gradually over a few winters on tall old trees
- Dead and crossing wood removed
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- Winter pruning
- Summer pruning
Plums, gages and damsons are never pruned in winter. Cuts made in the cold, wet months let in silver leaf and bacterial canker, which can kill the tree. We prune in spring as growth starts on young trees, and in summer on established ones.
- Pruned only when the tree is in growth, with clean, small cuts
- Heavy, drooping branches shortened so they don't split under a big crop
- Silver leaf checked for, with infected wood cut out well beyond the stain
- Suckers from the base removed
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- Winter pruning
- Summer pruning
Cherries are stone fruit too, so they are pruned in summer, never in winter. Sweet cherries fruit on older wood and need little more than tidying; acid cherries, such as Morello, fruit on last year's shoots and are pruned after picking to make room for new growth.
- Pruned in summer, after or around fruiting
- Sweet cherries kept to size with light pruning
- Acid cherries pruned to replace fruited shoots with new ones
- Bacterial canker and gumming checked for and cut out
What we take out, and why
Good fruit tree pruning is mostly about light, air and balance, not about how much comes off.
We start with the four Ds: anything dead, diseased, damaged or disordered (crossing and rubbing) comes out first, because that is where disease gets in and branches split.
Then we open the centre of the tree into a goblet or open shape, so light reaches the fruit and air dries the leaves after rain. That means better colour, sweeter fruit and less scab and mildew.
Water shoots, the vigorous upright growth that sprouts after hard pruning, are mostly removed, with a few kept where a new branch is needed.
Finally we bring the height and spread back to something you can manage and pick from, shortening branches to an outward-facing bud or side branch, never leaving stubs.
How a fruit tree visit works
- 1
Free visit
We look at the tree, how it fruits, its health and how big you want it, and tell you when it should be pruned.
- 2
Written quote
A clear price for the work, booked in for the right season for that tree.
- 3
Pruning
Done from the ground with pole saws, from a tripod ladder with hand tools, or from a platform on big trees. No chainsaws on ladders.
- 4
Clean up
Cuttings chipped or taken away for recycling, and the ground left tidy.
- 5
Advice
What to expect next season, and whether the tree needs a follow-up visit.
Old trees, trained trees and orchards
Trained fruit
Cordons, espaliers and fans along walls and fences are pruned in summer to keep their shape and their fruiting spurs, and tied in where needed.
Community and estate orchards
We prune small orchards for schools, community groups, estates and holiday parks, on a yearly visit timed for each type of fruit.
Mistletoe
Mistletoe is common on old apple trees in the south. A little is fine, but heavy growth weakens branches, so we keep it in check while pruning.
Common problems we look for
| Problem | Trees | What we do |
|---|---|---|
| Canker | Apples and pears | Cut out to clean wood, taken away, never left on the ground |
| Scab | Apples and pears | Open the crown for air; clear fallen leaves in autumn |
| Silver leaf | Plums, cherries and other stone fruit | Prune only in summer; cut infected wood well beyond the stain |
| Bacterial canker | Cherries and plums | Summer pruning only; affected branches removed |
| Brown rot | All fruit | Mummified fruit removed while pruning |
| Too tall to pick | All fruit | Height reduced gradually over a few seasons |
Fruit tree pruning questions
Anything not covered here? Ask us and we'll give you a straight answer.
When is the best time to prune an apple tree?
In winter, while it is dormant, usually between November and early March. Trained apples such as cordons and espaliers are also pruned in late summer.
Can I prune a plum or cherry tree in winter?
No. Stone fruit should only be pruned when it is in growth, in spring or summer. Winter cuts let in silver leaf and bacterial canker, which can kill the tree.
How much can you take off a fruit tree?
Usually no more than about a fifth of the crown in one year. Old, neglected trees are brought back over two or three winters rather than all at once.
My old apple tree hasn't fruited well for years. Can it be saved?
Often, yes. Renovation pruning over a few winters, opening the centre and renewing fruiting wood, usually brings a neglected tree back into good cropping.
Do you prune small fruit trees as well as big ones?
Yes. From a single apple tree in a garden to small orchards, and from trained fruit on walls to old standard trees.
Do you take the cuttings away?
Yes. Cuttings are chipped or taken away and recycled, and the area is left tidy. Diseased wood is removed from site.
Do we cover you?
Based in Ferndown, covering all of Dorset, all of Hampshire and parts of Wiltshire.
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Choose the job, pick a time from our live diary and tell us where. No payment and no obligation.
- You pick a timeOnline, in about a minute. Visits run Monday to Thursday and Saturdays.
- We visit and look properlyA qualified arborist checks the trees, the access and whether any consent is needed.
- You get a written quoteA clear, fixed price with no hidden costs. The price quoted is the price you pay.
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