Look for the raised ‘collar’ where the branch joins and cut flush with that. If you need to remove a whole branch, make your cut close to – but not into – the main branch or trunk. This is where next year’s growth will spring from. Always cut just-above a healthy outward-facing bud. High-quality tools will retain an edge for much longer. If you’re doing a lot of pruning you may need to stop occasionally and re-sharpen the blade. You might find that it crosses with another further back and that it, therefore, should be cut out closer to the trunk. You can spend an awful lot of time removing a small dead twig here and a spindly inward-turning shoot there, but when thinking about removing a small branch it’s a good idea to trace it back to the trunk to see if there are other problems. Think of any inward-pointing branches as crossing ones, and remove. It’s an easier job to make these cuts while they’re still small. Try to imagine how the branches will look when weighed down with leaves and fruits will they rub against a branch below? If you spot two branches that are likely to cross in the future, prune one of them out now. They will also make it harder for air to circulate, and make harvesting more awkward. If two branches cross, they will rub away the bark and potentially provide an entry point for disease.

Make the cut into healthy wood to ensure the problem doesn’t spread. If the wood shows obvious signs of any malady, amputate it. Winter pruning starts when the trees go dormant and lasts until early spring before they start to bud. Summer pruning of apples helps encourage fruiting and flowering, but winter pruning is essential for controlling shape and vigor. When cutting, you want a clean cut without smashing the wood. A good tip: if you have a battery powered reciprocating saw, it will do the job on branches that are too big for the loppers.

Hand held bypass pruners, long handle lopping shears, and a pruning saw are some great ones. The best start to pruning is good-quality sharp and sterile pruning tools. In reality, apple trees are tough and very forgiving. I am always afraid of doing permanent damage. Pruning has never been one of my favorite things.

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