Prune early apple trees

It won’t reach its potential if ‘planted and left’, says Peter

- Peter Seabrook

WHEN I view recently planted (the last five-seven years) apple and pear trees, all too often I am filled with despair. Lovely young, one-to-two-year old trees at the outset were planted with enthusiasm and just left. Pruning bush, half-standard and full-standard trees – to establish a good branch framework in these early years – is essential. A good general rule is to prune back, by one-half to two-thirds, all the strong lead shoots made the previous summer.