Prune your apple or pear tree safely in winter, in order, without harming nesting birds or protected trees.
PR-01Check if the tree is protectedRing your local council's planning department and ask if the tree has a Tree Preservation Order, or sits in a conservation area. Give the location and a description of the tree. If it has a TPO, you need the council's written consent before cutting live growth (removing dead branches is usually exempt); if it's in a conservation area, you must give the council six weeks' written notice first. See HomeGraft's guide 'Can I cut down or prune a tree with a tree preservation order?' for how to apply.
RULESKNOW THE RULES
TPO trees need the council's consent, and trees in a conservation area need six weeks' written notice first. Skipping either is a criminal offence.
PR-02Check for nesting birds before you startWalk round the tree and look closely for nests, especially in thick growth and old deadwood. Winter, roughly November to February, is the safest time to prune, before the main nesting season of March to August begins. If you find an active nest with eggs or chicks, leave that branch alone and come back once the young have fledged.
RULESKNOW THE RULES
It's an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to damage or destroy an active bird's nest.
PR-03Gather your tools and plan to work from the groundYou'll need clean, sharp bypass secateurs for thin growth, loppers for branches up to about 25mm thick, and a pruning saw for anything thicker. Work from the ground only — never cut while standing on a ladder. Any branch you can't safely reach from the ground, anything thicker than your forearm, or any tree taller than head height at the point you're cutting, is a job for a qualified tree surgeon.
1 each · Bypass secateurs 1 each · Folding pruning saw 1 pair · Gardening gloves PR-04Stand back and look before you make a single cutWalk round the whole tree and look at its shape from several angles. You're aiming for an open, balanced framework of well-spaced main branches, with light and air able to reach the centre. Decide which branches need to come out before you pick up a tool — it's easy to overcut once you start.
PR-05Cut out dead, diseased and damaged wood firstLook for branches that are brittle, bark-less, or show fungal growth, splitting or dieback. Cut these back to healthy wood, or right back to the main stem just outside the branch collar — the slightly swollen ring where the branch meets the trunk. Don't cut flush into the trunk and don't leave a stub.
PR-06Remove crossing, rubbing and inward-growing branchesWhere two branches cross or rub, take out the weaker or worse-placed one. Remove any branches growing back into the centre of the tree rather than outward. This stops bark damage over time and keeps the shape open.
PR-07Thin out congested growth to open the centreIn a crowded crown, remove some whole branches back to their point of origin, rather than shortening lots of them. Aim to let light reach all parts of the tree — this helps fruit ripen and reduces disease. Don't remove more than about a fifth of the live crown in one winter; over-pruning triggers a flush of weak, whippy growth.
PR-08Shorten vigorous shoots and reduce height if neededCut back the past year's strong, upright growth by around a third, to an outward-facing bud, to encourage fruiting spurs rather than more height. If the tree has grown too tall to manage or pick from safely, reduce the main leader a little at a time over a few winters rather than taking it all off at once. Leave this to a tree surgeon if it means climbing or working above head height.
PR-09Cut out suckers and water shootsSuckers are thin shoots growing from the base of the trunk or roots; pull or cut them off close to where they join. Water shoots are the thin, straight, upright shoots growing from branches, often where an old cut was made; cut these out completely, as they rarely fruit well and just clutter the centre.
PR-10Cut back any branches overhanging the boundaryIf a branch from your tree overhangs next door, you're entitled to cut it back to your boundary line, but no further, and you must not go onto your neighbour's land without asking first. Offer the cuttings back to your neighbour — they're legally still theirs. If it's your neighbour's hedge overhanging you and causing a problem, see HomeGraft's guide to high hedge rules instead.
PR-11Clear up and dispose of the cuttingsLay a sheet or tarpaulin down before you start if you can, to make clear-up quicker. Chop small prunings down to size for your council green waste bin or home compost; take larger branches to a recycling centre or cut them for kindling. Keep any diseased wood separate and bin or burn it rather than composting it.
1 each · Tarpaulin or dust sheet 2 each · Garden waste sack PR-12Clean and oil your tools before you put them awayWipe blades clean of sap and dirt, then wipe over with methylated spirit or a garden disinfectant such as Jeyes Fluid, especially if you've cut out any diseased wood. A light coat of general purpose oil on the blades stops rust. Store secateurs and loppers closed, and the saw in its sheath.
1 bottle · Methylated spirits 1 bottle · General purpose oil (3-in-1) Tooled Up links are affiliate links: if you buy after clicking, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. B&Q and Amazon links are plain searches and earn us nothing.
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