PRUNING FAN FRUIT TREES

Cut the main stem back by at least half. Tie the strongest two shoots to canes and fix to a wall.	In following summers, tie in new shoots and cut out ones that are growing in the wrong direction.	Continue to tie in new shoots to complete the fan shape and shorten side shoots in summer.

Suitable for: Apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, apricots, dessert plums, figs and sweet cherries.

Aim: Fruit trees are trained to cover a wall or other vertical surfaces as efficiently as possible. Flexing the stems horizontally also stimulates bud development. Fan trained trees are available from the Nursery.

Pruning: If you start with maiden trees, cut back the single stem by half to just above a healthy bud. During summer, select the two strongest growths and tie these to canes at roughly 45o to the ground. Fix the canes to horizontal wires. Cut both branches back to about 30cm(1ft) the following winter. In subsequent summers, tie in the sideshoots to canes fixed in a fan shape on the wall. The tips of the leaders should eventually be about 30cm(1ft) apart and evenly spaced in a large arc. Where there are gaps, cut a leader back to stimulate branching.

With some fruit, such as apples, short sideshoots can be cut back to encourage fruiting spurs. On others, such as cherries, remove old sub-branches to stimulate the growth of new ones.