How to Train and Shape Fruit Trees (with a Focus on Apple Trees)
- Ash
- May 30
- 9 min read
Updated: Jun 1
How to Train and Shape Fruit Trees (with a Focus on Apple Trees)
Table of Contents
1. Introduction: Why Training Fruit Trees Matters
2. When to Start Training
3. Understanding How Fruit Trees Grow
4. Choosing a Training Style
5. Training a Young Apple Tree (Year-by-Year)
6. Tools and Pruning Technique
7. Using Grafting Wax and Wound Sealants
8. Common Mistakes to Avoid
9. Corrective Cuts and Rescuing Neglected Trees
10. Rootstocks and Variety-Specific Notes
11. Timing Considerations for the UK
12. Glossary of Useful Terms
13. Conclusion: Training as a Long-Term Partnership
1. Introduction: Why Training Fruit Trees Matters
Training a fruit tree is the art and science of guiding its form from an early stage, creating a strong structure that will last for decades. Good training means a healthier, more productive tree, with easier access for pruning, harvesting, and care. For most gardeners in the UK, apples are the best starting point; their response to classic methods like delayed open centre pruning is predictable, and their vigorous growth rewards careful shaping.
Untrained trees may develop crowded branches, weak angles, or excessive height, leading to poor fruiting, increased disease risk, and branches prone to snapping under heavy loads. By contrast, a well-trained apple tree will have wide-angled, well-spaced scaffold branches, an open canopy that allows sunlight and airflow, and a manageable height for routine work.
The principles in this guide will help anyone with a new apple tree or an older tree needing attention, with notes on pears, plums, and cherries where their needs differ.
2. When to Start Training
The best time to begin training is immediately after planting, whether you have a bare-root whip or a container-grown sapling. The first three years are critical for establishing the framework of the tree. Apples and pears are generally pruned during winter while the tree is dormant, ideally between November and early March in most of the UK. For stone fruits like plums and cherries, pruning is best done in summer to minimise the risk of silver leaf disease.
Early intervention prevents poor habits from forming, such as co-dominant leaders, steep branch angles, or crowded growth. If you have inherited an older tree, it is still possible to reshape it, but younger trees are far more responsive and recover quickly from formative cuts.
3. Understanding How Fruit Trees Grow
To understand how to train fruit trees, it helps to know a bit about their growth. Trees naturally want to grow upwards, thanks to apical dominance, where the leading shoot suppresses the growth of side branches. By cutting the leader or bending it out of vertical, you can stimulate side branches and control the overall shape.
Scaffold branches are the main limbs that support the tree’s framework and bear most of the fruit. The angle at which these branches leave the trunk is vital; wide angles of 45 to 60 degrees are much stronger than upright or steep angles, which are prone to splitting under weight. Buds grow in the direction they point, so when making cuts, choose outward-facing buds to encourage an open, spreading shape.
The branch collar, a slight swelling where a branch joins the trunk, contains tissues that help the tree heal after pruning. Always cut just outside the collar for fastest recovery. While these basics apply to most fruit trees, stone fruits like cherry and plum are more sensitive to cuts and disease, so always refer to species-specific advice for those.
4. Choosing a Training Style
There are several classic ways to train a fruit tree, and the right style depends on space, rootstock, and your chosen variety.
Open Centre (Vase):
This style removes the central leader to create a goblet shape with three to five well-spaced main branches. The open centre allows light into the canopy and is especially useful for stone fruits and in gardens where airflow is a concern.
Delayed Open Centre Pruning:
Very popular for apples in the UK, delayed open centre pruning begins by allowing a central leader for the first year or two, then removing it to create a vase shape. This gives better branch spacing and avoids weak forks. The delayed open centre method is considered a best practice for how to train fruit trees in small gardens and allotments.
Central Leader:
Here, the main trunk is kept as the leader, with tiers of well-spaced side branches spiralling around it. This is common for apples and pears on vigorous rootstocks and is especially suitable for larger trees. It produces a Christmas-tree profile with strong scaffolds at regular intervals.
Espalier and Fan Training:
These are specialised forms for restricted spaces, walls, or fences. Espalier trees have horizontal tiers trained along wires, while fans are shaped with evenly spaced branches radiating from a low trunk. Both require careful attention and frequent training but can be highly productive and decorative.
When choosing a style, consider the mature size of your variety, your available space, and how much ongoing work you want to commit to.
5. Training a Young Apple Tree (Year-by-Year)
The first few years shape the future of the tree. Here is a practical guide for apples, but similar principles apply to pears and, with some adaptation, to other fruit trees.
Year 1: Initial Pruning and Leader Selection
At planting, cut back the maiden whip to just above a strong bud at 60 to 80 cm (24 to 32 in) above ground. This encourages branching at the right height. Remove any side shoots lower than 45 cm (18 in) from the soil. If your tree already has side branches, choose three or four evenly spaced around the trunk to become scaffold branches and shorten these by a third to an outward-facing bud.
Year 2–3: Establishing Scaffold Branches
In the following winter, select the best three to five scaffold branches and remove any weak, crowded, or vertical growth. To improve the angles of the main branches, use wooden spreaders or soft ties to hold them at 45 to 60 degrees. Shorten the scaffolds by about a third to encourage more branching. For delayed open centre pruning, this is the year to remove the central leader, if desired.
Year 4 and Beyond: Refinement and Fruiting Wood
Once the framework is set, focus on thinning crowded shoots and encouraging the formation of fruiting spurs on older wood. Remove water shoots (vigorous upright shoots), crossing branches, and any growth heading into the centre of the tree. Light summer pruning can be used to manage size and light exposure, particularly for trained forms.
For pears, much the same approach applies, but they can be a little less vigorous, requiring slightly lighter pruning. Plums and cherries need much lighter formative pruning and only in summer.
6. Tools and Pruning Technique
Having the right tools makes pruning safer, cleaner, and less stressful for the tree. The essentials are:
Secateurs (bypass pruners): for cuts up to about 2 cm (0.75 in) diameter.
Loppers: for thicker branches.
Pruning saw: for large or awkward limbs.
Always keep blades sharp and clean. Sterilise tools between trees, especially if pruning after disease, using methylated spirits or a suitable disinfectant. This reduces the risk of spreading canker, fireblight, or silver leaf.
When cutting, use two basic techniques:
Heading cuts remove the tip of a shoot or branch, encouraging bushier side growth.
Thinning cuts remove an entire shoot or branch at its base, opening up the canopy without stimulating regrowth.
Always cut just outside the branch collar. Avoid leaving stubs, which heal slowly, or cutting flush to the trunk, which damages healing tissues. When removing heavy branches, use a three-cut technique to prevent tearing the bark.
7. Using Grafting Wax and Wound Sealants
Pruning creates wounds, and the question of sealing them often arises. For most routine cuts made cleanly and just outside the collar, modern advice in the UK (including the RHS) suggests that sealing is not necessary. The tree naturally forms callus tissue that covers the wound, usually more effectively if left open to air.
Grafting wax for pruning is still recommended for very large cuts, graft unions, or in situations where infection risk is high, such as in areas prone to silver leaf disease. To use grafting wax, warm a small amount in your hands or according to the instructions, then press it gently over the exposed cut, ensuring full coverage of the wound edge. Avoid over-applying, as this can trap moisture and encourage decay.
In summary, seal small to medium cuts only if disease pressure is high or if you are grafting, and always use a product suitable for outdoor use on fruit trees.
8. Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even experienced gardeners can slip into bad habits with fruit tree pruning. Some of the most common mistakes include:
Leaving co-dominant leaders: Always select a single main leader early on, or remove rivals before they become large and form weak junctions.
Over-pruning: Removing too much growth at once can stress the tree and trigger excessive regrowth or reduce fruiting.
Pruning at the wrong time: Apples and pears tolerate winter cuts, but plums and cherries should only be pruned in summer to reduce disease risk.
Cutting too close or too far: Never cut flush with the trunk or leave long stubs. Both slow healing and increase infection risk.
Ignoring spacing: Failing to thin crowded branches leads to poor airflow, more disease, and smaller, shaded fruit.
Take your time, step back to check the shape, and never be afraid to ask for advice or consult detailed diagrams.
9. Corrective Cuts and Rescuing Neglected Trees
Many gardeners inherit old or overgrown trees that have been neglected. Rescuing these trees is possible, but it is best done gradually to avoid shocking the tree or encouraging a flush of weak, upright shoots.
Start by removing dead, diseased, or damaged wood. Next, thin out congested areas and remove any branches crossing through the centre of the tree. If the tree is very tall, reduce height over two or three winters, lowering the main leader by a metre (about 3 feet) each time. Always avoid cutting into old wood unless necessary, as this can slow recovery.
After heavy corrective pruning, feed and water the tree well in spring, and monitor for regrowth that may need pinching or thinning in summer.
10. Rootstocks and Variety-Specific Notes
The rootstock is the unsung hero of fruit tree training. Apple trees are most commonly sold on M9, M26, or MM106 rootstocks, each influencing final size and vigour.
M9: Very dwarfing; trees remain under 2.5 metres (8 feet), ideal for cordons, espaliers, and small gardens.
M26: Semi-dwarfing; trees reach about 3 metres (10 feet), manageable size for bush or open centre forms.
MM106: Vigorous; suitable for larger spaces or standard trees, reaching 4–5 metres (13–16 feet).
Pears are often grafted onto Quince A or C; plums and cherries may use St. Julien A or Colt. The rootstock affects not only size but also the training style—dwarf trees are easier to espalier, while vigorous types may need strong support and wider spacing.
Select varieties suited to your region; in the UK, Cox’s Orange Pippin, Bramley, and Egremont Russet are classic apples, while Conference is a staple pear, Victoria a favourite plum, and Sunburst a reliable cherry.
11. Timing Considerations for the UK
Timing is crucial for healthy pruning. In most of the UK, how to prune apple trees in winter means cutting between leaf fall and bud break (November to March). Pears follow similar timing. Avoid pruning during hard frost, as cuts can dry out and damage tissue.
Plums and cherries are susceptible to silver leaf disease, so prune only in summer, ideally July or August, after fruiting. This allows cuts to heal quickly and reduces infection risk. In Scotland or areas with cold, late springs, delay pruning until the worst frost has passed, but before sap rises strongly.
Milder winters in southern England can prompt earlier sap flow; watch for changing climate patterns and adjust accordingly. Always check the weather and avoid pruning during wet spells, which can spread fungal spores.
12. Glossary of Useful Terms
Scaffold branch: A main limb forming the framework of a tree.
Collar: The swollen area at the base of a branch where it meets the trunk.
Leader: The main upward-growing stem of a tree.
Spur: A short shoot that bears fruit buds.
Thinning cut: Removal of a branch at its base or point of origin, to open the canopy.
Heading cut: Shortening a shoot or branch by cutting back to a bud, encouraging bushier growth.
Water shoot: Vigorous, upright shoots often produced after heavy pruning or damage.
Delayed open centre pruning: Training method where the central leader is removed after initial growth, creating a vase-shaped tree.
Grafting wax: A protective compound applied to wounds or graft sites to seal and prevent infection.
Apical dominance: The natural tendency of the topmost bud to suppress the growth of lower shoots.
13. Conclusion: Training as a Long-Term Partnership
Training a fruit tree is not a one-off task but an ongoing relationship. Each year, you guide the shape, encourage fruitfulness, and maintain health. The time invested in the first few seasons repays itself for decades, making picking, pruning, and caring for your tree far easier and more satisfying.
No two trees are identical. Accept a measure of imperfection, observe how your tree responds, and adjust your technique as needed. With a little understanding and patient attention, anyone can master fruit tree pruning techniques UK gardeners have developed over generations, enjoying healthier, more productive trees in gardens of any size.
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