We embarked on summer pruning today of our cordoned fruit trees. A bit scary, as this is the first time we’ve done it on our own without the expert advice of Bryn from Brighton Permaculture Trust.

Having read up the RHS advice and that from videojug, we established that for summer pruning, we need to prune sideshoots (laterals) and sideshoots of sideshoots (sub-laterals), not the main leader stem. The idea is to restrict growth, not encourage it.

The problem is then identifying exactly which sideshoots and where to cut. It seems important to identify sideshoots which are ‘existing wood’ and those bits which are ‘new season’s growth’.

The video says ‘cut 1cm above the basal cluster – which is the whirl of leaves around the bottom of the shoot just above the rings of old wood’ – presumably marking the point where the sideshoot was last pruned.

The RHS says cut the sideshoots which have grown on old growth back to 1 leaf (around 1cm) – after the basal cluster, and then cut back the entirely new sideshoots to 3 leaves.

The next challenge is to identify leaf buds facing the right way – outwards and fanning away from the main stem, not crossing it.

I think we trimmed all sideshoots back to 3 leaves above a basal cluster – we may have to go back and trim further, but better that than to have pruned too far.

_________________________________________________________

From RHS website: Summer pruning an oblique cordon (at 45 degrees)

Summer pruning is carried out in August, or in areas where growth is strong, such as wet parts of the country, delay summer pruning until September.

• Look for sideshoots over 22cm (9in) long, which grew earlier in summer directly from the main stem, and cut them back to three leaves. Those stems that grew from existing sideshoots or spurs can be pruned harder – to just one leaf beyond the cluster of leaves the base of that stem
• Leave shoots less than 15cm (6in) long until mid September and then shorten to one leaf beyond the cluster of leaves the base
• Prune growth that forms after summer pruning in September (or October if pruning later)