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pruning fruit trees
Rob5
Posts: 5
in Fruit & veg
Hi i have a plum about four years old it is now over twelve foot tall with two very long leaders in the middle can i prune thease down how far and when .
I also have a apple and pear about same age but not as big when do I prune thease and also by how much
0
Posts
You're too late with your plum this year - it needs to be pruned in summer to avoid the entrance of disease via the cuts.
Hi if i prune in summer surly i will lose the fruit will i need to put anything on the cuts
You'll only lose the fruit on the bits you prune off
But seriously, prune in mid summer - if you get a heavy crop of fruit on the long leaders they'll get weighed down and could split away from the tree leaving it with a wound so it is important to do it at the right time, and as been said, if you prune plums in the winter you run the risk of silverleaf disease which will kill your tree.
This will give you some help - there are links to apple and pear pruning as well
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=339
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.