Forum home› Fruit & veg
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

October pruning of established espalier or wait?

SmallYellowDotSmallYellowDot Posts: 12
in Fruit & veg
Is October too late to prune an established espalier?  It's an established tree - the diameter of the stem at the base is about 15 inches and it looks like it hasn't been pruned for a few years.  Should I hold off pruning now until winter and what kind of prune should I do then and what should wait until summer.  Thanks for any advice. - really don't want to damage it as it's a beautiful tree. 

Posts

  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    What type of tree? Fruit? It is late to prune now, as the damp could cause disease. Also if you cut late, or in winter/spring, you will cause a rush of new growth, not good for fruit trees as they don't fruit on these new shoots. So very much depends on what type of tree.
  • SmallYellowDotSmallYellowDot Posts: 12
    Thanks Purplerallim, it's an apple tree (sorry missed that important detail).
  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    Yes it's  a bit late for a "summer prune" now. That said it's been so mild some of mine have put on quite a bit of regrowth since I did them at the end of August.  If the leaves are still on you could tidy them up a bit, but a lot depends on where you are and what the weather is going to do over the next few weeks. 

    AB Still learning

Sign In or Register to comment.