Pruning: cordon pears & trained fruit

Check-up time

Take a moment to inspect plants you pruned in earlier seasons. This forsythia is recovering well from its winter rejuvenation pruning, with plenty of healthy new growth this summer, some of which will flower next spring.

Other plants to prune now

Midsummer is a good time for all of these jobs, but the month of July is ideal – the fresh new growth that follows from these cuts will have plenty of time to toughen up before the first frosts of winter arrive

WISTERIA Prune off all the long, whippy stems now, to about seven buds. A harder prune follows in January or February. PLUMS Cut diseased, dead or dying stems from established trees back to a healthy bud. Be aware you will probably remove some fruit.

BAY If you keep your bay tree clipped, prune it now, cutting back to a bud facing in the direction you want it to grow. Dry the clippings for cooking. PHILADELPHUS Prune straight after flowering. Remove up to a third of the stems at the base to allow light and air into the centre of the shrub.

Don’t prune these now

✗SHRUBBY CORNUS Cutting these back now will deprive you of lovely, colourful stems in the winter. Instead, do this in March. ✗ WILLOW Similar to cornus, pruning now will remove winter colour. You’ll also have no stems for planting whips in the dormant season. ✗ PARROTIA As with all plants grown for their autumn colour, preserve the foliage for a vibrant display in just a few months. ✗ AUTUMN RASPBERRIES Not to be confused with summer-fruiting cultivars, which can be pruned back just after they have fruited. Confusing the two different types of raspberry plant could mean no autumn crop to eat.