How do I prune a fruit tree?

The three cuts that matter, when each type of fruit tree should be pruned, and why less is usually better.

Difficulty: intermediate
Time: 2 hr
Read: 2 min
Safety: caution

Short answer

Remove dead, damaged and crossing branches first — that alone is most of the job. Apples and pears are pruned in winter while dormant; plums and cherries must be pruned in summer to avoid silver leaf disease.

Fruit tree pruning aims for an open structure that lets light and air in, and for a balance between growth and fruiting. Removing the obviously wrong branches achieves most of that, and over-pruning causes vigorous unproductive regrowth.

Safety

Do not prune from a ladder with a chainsaw or work above shoulder height with power tools. For large branches or any work requiring a ladder, use a professional. Falls from ladders are among the most common serious DIY injuries.

What you'll need

Sharp secateurs
Loppers
Pruning saw (optional)
Gloves (optional)

Step by step

Prune apples and pears in winter while dormant.Between leaf fall and bud break. They tolerate winter pruning well and the structure is visible without leaves.
Prune plums, cherries and other stone fruit in summer.Never in winter. Winter pruning creates an entry point for silver leaf disease, which can kill the tree. This is the most important rule.
Start with the three Ds: dead, damaged, diseased.Remove all of it first. This is a large part of the job, it is always correct, and it often reveals that little else is needed.
Remove crossing and rubbing branches.Where two branches touch, they wound each other and let in disease. Remove the weaker or worse-placed one.
Open up the centre.Aim for a goblet shape with an open middle so light and air reach the fruit. Congested centres give poor fruit and encourage disease.
Remove vertical water shoots.Vigorous straight vertical growth produces no fruit. Remove it at the base rather than shortening it, which produces more of the same.
Cut back to a bud or a branch, not mid-stem.A stub left mid-branch dies back and rots. Cut just above an outward-facing bud or back to the branch collar.
Remove no more than about a quarter in one year.Hard pruning triggers vigorous unproductive regrowth. A neglected tree should be restored over three years rather than one.

Tips

Step back frequently and look at the whole tree. It is very easy to over-prune one area while concentrating on individual cuts.
Clean secateurs between trees if any disease is present. Pruning tools spread infection efficiently.
Fruit thinning in early summer — removing some small fruits — gives larger better fruit and prevents branches breaking under weight.

Common mistakes

Pruning plums or cherries in winter — It creates an entry point for silver leaf disease, which can kill the tree. Stone fruit is pruned in summer without exception.
Removing too much in one year — The tree responds with vigorous vertical growth that produces no fruit. Restore a neglected tree gradually over several years.
Leaving stubs — A cut left mid-branch dies back and rots, which can spread into the main structure. Cut back to a bud or the branch collar.

Questions people ask

When should I prune fruit trees?

Apples and pears in winter while dormant. Plums, cherries and other stone fruit in summer — winter pruning risks silver leaf disease, which can be fatal to the tree.

How much can I prune off a fruit tree?

No more than about a quarter in one year. Harder pruning triggers vigorous vertical growth that bears no fruit. Restore an overgrown tree over three seasons.