Description

The advantages of pruning fruit trees outweigh the disadvantages, but many gardeners are scared of making mistakes, so they do nothing—big mistake!

Or, they go over the top and accidentally prune off all the fruit buds, or create poorly shaped trees that don’t grow well.

After completing this module you’ll understand how fruit trees grow, how they’re likely to respond to different types of cuts, and how to plan the perfect shape for every fruit tree in your garden. You’ll know how to choose every cut to fit with your long-term plan for the shape of the tree.

This module focuses on peaches, nectarines, plums, apples and pears, which are commonly pruned in winter, while the trees are dormant. By the time you’ve done the reading, watched the videos and completed the activity, you’ll be able to make informed choices about how you prune your trees, no matter how big, old, tangled or confused they—or you—are!

What’s included in this module:

• Unit 1: Winter pruning principles (article)
• Unit 2: The difference between summer & winter pruning (video)
• Unit 3: Maintenance pruning mature fruit trees (article)
• Unit 4: Maintenance pruning a mature plum tree (video)
• Unit 5: Plan your pruning calendar (activity)
• Unit 6: Are different fruit trees pruned the same way? (article)
• Unit 7: How to prune apple & pear trees (article)