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Orchard Fruit Growing: Methods, Research, History & Culture

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Category: Top Fruit Pruning

Winter Pruning Cordon Apple Trees, ‘Short Spur’ Method

I’ve been winter pruning my cordon apple trees; here’s the general method I used and details of how I pruned each tree.

Published March 3, 2023
Categorised as Feature Articles, Orchard Work, Top Fruit Pruning Tagged apples, cordon, Courtois method, long-spur, pruning, short-spur, winter pruning

Stepover Apple Trees: Winter Pruning, Year Three

I’ve been shunning the standard advice and only winter pruning trained apple trees for three years now. Here’s how it’s going.

Published April 30, 2022
Categorised as Feature Articles, Top Fruit Pruning Tagged apples, Blenheim Orange, blossom, bourse, brindille, dard, howgate wonder, keswick codlin, winter pruning

A Tale of Two Crab Apple Trees

I’ve pruned two very different crab apples this year – here’s how I approached each one, and the results of the work.

Published March 26, 2022
Categorised as Feature Articles, Top Fruit Pruning Tagged crab apple, john downie, maintenance pruning, restoration pruning, winter pruning

Winter Pruning to Control Apple Canker

Sometimes a drastic tree health problem like apple canker requires a fairly drastic pruning remedy.

Published March 7, 2021
Categorised as Feature Articles, Orchard P&D, Top Fruit Pruning Tagged apple, apple canker, lord clyde, winter pruning

Stepover Apple Trees: Winter Pruning, Year Two

A follow-up to last year’s stepover winter pruning post, with details of re-growth and this year’s pruning.

Published February 28, 2021
Categorised as Feature Articles, Top Fruit Pruning Tagged Blenheim Orange, howgate wonder, keswick codlin, stepover, trained form, winter pruning

Another Holly Mount Pruning Session, Feb 2020

A grey but dry and hugely enjoyable Sunday afternoon was well spent on helping to finish off this year’s winter pruning work.

Published February 4, 2020
Categorised as Feature Articles, Orchard Work, Top Fruit Pruning Tagged apple, maintenance pruning, pear, pruning, restoration pruning, winter pruning

Mature Apple Tree: Restoration Pruning

Here’s how I went about the first phase of restorative pruning on a mature apple three that has been sadly neglected for a few years.

Published January 28, 2020
Categorised as Feature Articles, Orchard Work, Top Fruit Pruning Tagged pruning, restoration pruning

Stepover Apple Trees: Winter Pruning Year One

Here’s how I pruned three stepover trees on our allotment plot, leaving them until January rather than pruning in late summer as usually advised.

Published January 21, 2020
Categorised as Feature Articles, Orchard Work, Top Fruit Pruning Tagged apple, Malus domestica Borkh, pruning, stepover, trained form, winter pruning

Pruning Session: Holly Mount Orchard, January 2020

On a grey and drizzly afternoon I spent a happy few hours helping to winter prune a few of the trees in Holly Mount community orchard.

Published January 7, 2020
Categorised as Feature Articles, Orchard Work, Top Fruit Pruning Tagged Bury, Holly Mount Orchard, orchard work, winter pruning

Restoration Pruning of an Overgrown Plum Tree

Improving the branch structure of an overgrown and crowded plum tree on our allotment plot.

Published August 25, 2019
Categorised as Feature Articles, Top Fruit Pruning Tagged plum, restoration pruning
  1. Darren T on Gallery: Lifecycle of an Apple, From Bud to Blossom to FruitJune 4, 2023

    You're welcome! :)

  2. Camille on Gallery: Lifecycle of an Apple, From Bud to Blossom to FruitJune 3, 2023

    Sorry for the delayed response, but thank you very much for all this information. I will keep it to refer…

  3. Darren T on How To: Thin Out Apple and Pear FruitletsJune 3, 2023

    Thank you Oltice, I'm very glad it was helpful. Thinning really is one of the most useful and important things…

  4. Oltice on How To: Thin Out Apple and Pear FruitletsJune 2, 2023

    This was absolutely brilliant. I know now why my apple tree doesn't produce any fruits this year, after having millions…

  5. Darren T on Dealing With Pear Midge Problems the Organic WayJune 2, 2023

    I'm sorry Ruth, but I don't have much experience with spraying, so I wouldn't know what to advise there. I…

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