CHAPTER 

 Summer Pruning 



SUMMER pruning does not appear to be practised by amateurs 

 generally ; their Apple, Pear, and Plum trees particularly, and 

 especially those planted against a wall or espalier, would be 

 greatly improved thereby. The object of summer pruning is 

 to prevent the trees from making excessive and useless growth 

 and misusing energy which might otherwise be diverted towards 

 perfecting the buds for another season, namely, those at the base 

 of the shoots. The work consists in pinching or cutting off 

 the ends of the side shoots that form on the branches. It is a 

 mistake to do the work too early, or the trees continue to form 

 a number of secondary shoots which have again to be pinched 

 off as soon as they have formed one or two leaves. If the prun- 

 ing is not done until late in July, fewer secondary shoots will be 

 produced afterwards than if the pruning is done some weeks 

 earlier. 



Trees growing against a wall will need attention first, for 

 in that position growth is naturally more advanced than on 

 trees in the open garden. The opportunity ought to be taken 

 at the same time to cut off shoots for which there is no room, 

 for they crowd the trees and prevent light and air reaching the 

 buds. If amateurs would pay greater attention to the dis- 

 budding or removal of superfluous growths, and to summer 

 pruning, there is little doubt that their trees would benefit ; 

 generally speaking, fruit trees are much too crowded with growths. 



Summer pruning ought undoubtedly to be practised on 

 Apple, Pear, and Plum trees, and on all those grown in the form 

 of espaliers or cordons. If time permits, it may with advantage 

 be practised on Gooseberries, Red and White Currants grown 

 as bushes, though with these fruits summer pruning is rarely 

 carried out systematically. Cherries, too, especially those 

 growing against a wall, ought to be summer pruned. 



It is not advisable to complete the summer pruning of a 



