Pruning and

Training

Many of the the trees, shrubs, herbaceous perennials, fruit etc. that we grow requires some sort of pruning at some point throughout the year. This can be very confusing, especially for those new to gardening. So why do we prune? Firstly many of us only have a limited amount of space. Pruning is the obvious way in which we can control the size a tree or shrub will grow. Another reason we may choose to prune may be to encourage more fruit or flowers, or maybe to improve the shape. Just like we get ill, so do plants and pruning can be used to help a plant recover or prevent disease spreading. This is a section I will be visiting regularly to add examples of what you should be pruning. I will be adding them by season so that hopefully when you require it there should be some information here that will help you. If in the meantime you are having to prune something and there is not enough information here to help you work out what to do, then please email me and I will try to help. Apples and Pears - This applies to any trained form of apples or pears such as espaliers, step overs and cordons also if you have a tree where you need to control the size or shape.