How to prune an apple tree in five simple steps

Follow this advice for branches up to 3in across for anything larger, Id advise calling in a tree surgeon with a chainsaw.

You will need ...

Chalk Secateurs Bucket for collecting mouldy fruit Folding pruning saw handy as you can stick it in your back pocket while climbing the ladder Or a carpenters wood saw more economical to buy than specialist pruning saws and man enough (when new) to handle large branches, but less wieldy when climbing the ladder Ladder and short length of rope to secure to the tree

1 Prepare to prune

Lean your ladder into the tree, propping it so it sits without wobbling against a stout, healthy branch within easy reach of what you want to cut.

Loop a piece of rope twice around the rung closest to the branch and tie the ladder to the branch with a granny knot.

Standing on the ladder, have a good look up into the tree. You should see a vase-shape of branches emerging from the trunk, but on poorly pruned trees, there is also usually a mass of unproductive upright stems epicormic growth coming from the centre, and its these you want to remove, along with larger, obviously dead, diseased or crossing boughs. Their removal opens up the centre of the tree, allowing air to move freely through the foliage and fruit, which in turn reduces fungal infections like mildew and scab, that scar leaves and fruit with black blotches.

Mark the branches you want to get rid of with a piece of chalk. Before you cut, check from the ground that they are the right ones. This might seem overly cautious, but Ive learnt the hard way that when youre up in the tree, saw in hand, its all too easy to mix up the good with the bad and the ugly.

First prop your ladder against the apple tree (Christopher Jones)

2 Start pruning

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How to prune an apple tree in five simple steps