In his weekly Jamie’s Little Allotment column, Gayton gardener Jamie Marsh tells us to ‘let the sunshine in’…
The other evening I was out in the garden with the hosepipe in one hand, giving the dahlias a good soak, and in the other hand I had the secateurs for a quick bit of dead heading. As I wandered round I stopped by the apple tree and realised just how much it had grown this summer.
One week it looked neat enough, the next it was sprouting shoots all over the place. It reminded me that late August is a good time to give them a little trim. A lot of people think pruning only happens in the depths of winter, but there’s something to be said for doing a bit in summer too. I’ve learned over the years that if you leave all those long leafy shoots in place, the fruit underneath doesn’t get much light.
It’s the perfect time for pruning
Snipping a few back now lets the sunshine in and it’s amazing how quickly the apples respond. They seem to colour up almost overnight once the light reaches them.
I’m not one for strict rules, but the way I go about it is fairly simple. If a shoot has grown really long, I’ll cut it back so there are just three or four leaves left near the base. If there are little side shoots coming off it, I usually give them a quick pinch too. And, if I see any big upright ones sticking straight up like flagpoles, they often come off completely.
These are what are known as water shoots, strong leafy growth that takes a lot of energy but doesn’t give you much back in fruit. I don’t tackle the whole tree in one go, I do it over a few days as our trees are quite big, sometimes while bramble is lying in the grass next to me, keeping a close eye on what I’m up to.
There is of course a lot more to pruning apple trees properly and there are plenty of experts online who can give you every detail. I don’t claim to be an expert myself, I just share the little I’ve picked up from trial and error over the years , and what seems to work for me.
It’s also the perfect time to prune stone fruit trees like plums, cherries, apricots and peaches. These are best done in summer rather than winter because the warmer weather helps the cuts heal quickly and keeps disease out. I’ve just finished tidying up my fan-trained peach, snipping out any crowded or crossing branches and making sure the shape stays open against the frame. With peaches, and really with all stone fruit, it’s about letting the air move through and the light reach the ripening fruit.
One year I pruned the apple too early, in July, and the tree just shot straight back into growth. Lesson learned. These days I wait until late August when the shoots have gone a bit woody and the tree is starting to slow down. That way the energy goes into the apples that are already there, and into forming flower buds for next year. It feels like you’re helping this year’s crop along while also giving next year’s a head start.
I also try to keep the old gardener’s saying in mind about the three D’s take out anything that’s dead, diseased or dying. A good shape to aim for is a bit like a goblet, open in the middle so the sunlight can pour in and the air can move through.
There’s no need to be too fussy about it. Even just opening up the canopy makes a big difference, letting the air move through and keeping things a bit healthier. It’s one of those allotment jobs that actually feels more like a pleasure. I enjoy it, especially when you catch that sweet apple smell while moving the branches about.
I always think of it as the finishing touch before harvest. In a few weeks, I’ll be picking the apples for crumbles, pies or just eating straight from the tree, and this little bit of attention now makes them all the better.
Bramble, my fox-red Labrador, has already started sniffing out the odd windfall, which is always a sign the apples are nearly ready. So if you’ve got an apple or a stone fruit tree, have a look this weekend. A quick tidy with the secateurs will let the sunshine in and you’ll thank yourself when you bite into that first crisp apple or juicy plum or peach of the season.
As always you can tell me what you’ve been up to in the garden or ask me a question by emailing me at: Jamieslittleallotment@gmail.com
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