Pruning young fruit trees

In this hands-on course you will learn how to prune a fruit tree from the time of planting until it is established.

About the course

We’ll start with some light theory—just enough slides and conversation to ground you in the basics.

Then we’ll head into the orchards for plenty of demonstration and practical pruning on our young apple trees. By the end, you’ll understand how to prune a tree from planting right up to its established form.

“My tree doesn’t look like the books” we often hear. Each species and variety has its own growth habit, and the local conditions affect how a tree grows, not to mention the action of critters and any pruning that has already been done. This course will help you learn to ‘read’ what your tree is doing and understand how to respond to it.

“Why do we need to prune?” Often it’s to guide the shape of the tree so the fruit is easy to reach and the tree fits comfortably in our spaces. Pruning also keeps trees healthy and helps us manage pests and diseases.

After the course, you’ll feel confident pruning everything from small allotment trees to full-sized orchard trees. The principles are the same, whether the first branches sit at knee height or overhead. We will look at both open centred “goblet” tree forms and “centre-leader” trees.

We will not cover pruning of restricted forms such as espaliers, cordons, or fans. If you’re interested in those, our Growing fruit in small spaces course offers a full introduction to restricted-form fruit trees.

We’ll be practising on apple trees. Pruning pip fruit—apples, pears, quinces—and stone fruit like plums and damsons follows similar principles, with a few important differences. We’ll go over those distinctions at the end of the course.

Who is this course for?

This course is suitable for anyone who is 16 years old or older and no previous experience in pruning is required.

Be prepared to spend a lot of time outdoors, whatever the weather. We will walk up to 2 miles, and some areas may have uneven ground. We will use ladders to prune certain trees, although there are also trees that can be pruned without needing to leave the ground.

Why do we teach this course?

Fruit trees offer rich habitats for wildlife and can provide food for generations—sometimes for a century or more. Pruning is vital for keeping these trees healthy, yet the knowledge and confidence to do it well aren’t always widely available. Our Pruning Young Fruit Trees course shares traditional skills that connect people with nature while supporting local food production and biodiversity.

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Our fees are worked out on a fair share basis, to make sure we cover costs and make courses as accessible as possible.