18th - 19th January Fruit Pruning Masterclass

We pruned free standing mature apple trees in the Orchard. A revision of last year's masterclass. Reducing some of the height of trees where fruit was starting to be hard to reach, including branches that were growing too inwards. Thinning some of the fruiting spurs, cutting off powdery mildew stems (these would appear to branch into two ear at the tip and very white). Not taking too much out to not stimulate the vigour too much. Taking out any crossed, diseased or dead branches or stems. This way of pruning is not the prettiest aims for maximising better, bigger harvest of fruit. The trees are an angular goblet shape. Any overly intrusive stems in the middle were taken out. We reduced the water shoots, taking out the most vigorous or weakest out of a cluster.

Photo 1: Apple tree with natural burs - good for woolly aphids to hide in!

Photo 2: Tree with really bad canker - not saveable and will just have to be cut off eventually.
Photo 3: Pruned apple tree - good open branches with spurs thinned, light can get to all the branches as evenly as possible.
Photo 4: Two branches growing in one.