Fruit experts at East Malling Research believe a six point summer pruning plan can help gardeners get the best from their apple and pear trees.

And the centre is holding courses to help gardeners to get to grips with summer pruning.

John Easton, of East Malling Research, said: “Summer pruning is an annual mid-year prune to remove much of that year’s new growth. The aim is to reduce the growth to induce fruit buds for the next year as well as get light and air into the tree. This helps improve the quality of ripening fruit as well as reducing the incidence of diseases.

“In most cases, gardeners should be using summer pruning to maintain their apple and pear trees. For the first few years concentrate on winter pruning to create the shape and size of tree you want, but then switch to summer pruning to ensure you have a bountiful supply of home-grown fruit.”

SIX TOP TIPS

• Use winter pruning to produce the structure of your tree form. Then, when you have achieved the desired structure, height or width, change from winter to summer pruning and maintain your tree shape.

• Only use summer pruning for trees that you wish to contain in size and shape or for tree centres that require more light or growth control. It is possible, for example, to contain a cordon tree to 2-2.5m in height throughout its life by summer pruning so that all the fruit can be picked without using steps.

• Timing of pruning is critical. Too soon and you will get regrowth; too late and you will be removing potential fruit bud. The optimum timing of summer pruning is when the leaves nearest the growing tip have all fully expanded and no new leaves are appearing. This is usually the last week of July of first week of August, but this year may be slightly later.

• Accuracy is also important. One-year shoots have to be cut to a bud to avoid dieback.

• The length of one-year wood that remains determines the degree of size control within the tree and the subsequent cropping levels.

• One-year shoots emerging from the tree branches must be cut back to 75mm (3”) and those emerging from a spur must be cut back to 25mm (1”).

A number of courses will be held at East Malling Research in July to help gardeners get to grips with summer pruning, followed by winter pruning workshops in November. There are also other day courses available covering topics such as willow weaving, ploughing and creating tepees for climbing pot plants.

For more information on these courses visit www.erm.ac.uk/EMSCs.htm, call 01732 523755, or email short.courses@emr.ac.uk