A Guide to Tree Pruning: From Apple Trees to Plum, Cherry and More

Tree pruning is one of those gardening tasks where timing matters as much as technique. The specific timing depends on the species - apple, plum, cherry, olive, and magnolia. This guide covers the when and how for each, along with the general principles that apply to all pruning work.

Table of Contents

1. General Pruning Principles
2. When and How to Prune Apple Trees
3. When to Prune Plum Trees in the UK
4. When to Prune Cherry Trees in the UK
5. When to Prune Olive Trees in the UK
6. When to Prune a Magnolia Tree
7. Pruning Tools and How to Use Them
8. Tree Preservation Orders: What to Check Before You Prune
9. How to Find a Tree Surgeon
10. FAQs: Tree Pruning

Whether you're pruning an apple tree for the first time or working out the right window for a cherry or magnolia, this guide covers the timing and technique for each species and the general principles that apply across all of them.

General Pruning Principles

Before getting into the timing and technique for specific species, a few principles apply to almost all tree pruning work.

Prune to a purpose.

Every cut should have a reason: removing dead or diseased wood, improving the tree's shape, reducing a branch that's creating a hazard, or opening up the canopy to improve light and air circulation. Pruning without a specific aim tends to produce an unbalanced result that needs correcting.

The three D's first.

Regardless of species, start every pruning session by removing dead, diseased, and damaged wood. This is always appropriate regardless of season and removes material that could otherwise spread disease to the rest of the tree.

Cut to the branch collar.

The branch collar is the slightly swollen area where a branch meets the trunk or a larger branch. Cutting to the collar (not into it, not leaving a stub) allows the tree to seal the wound correctly. A stub - leaving a length of branch beyond the collar - rots and creates a disease entry point. Cutting into the collar damages the wound-sealing tissue.

Use clean, sharp tools.

Blunt tools crush tissue rather than cutting cleanly, slowing wound healing and creating a larger surface area for disease entry. Clean tools between trees with a diluted bleach solution or proprietary tool disinfectant, this prevents transferring diseases between plants.

Never remove more than a third of the live canopy in a single season.

Removing too much at once stresses the tree and can trigger excessive, structurally weak regrowth. For trees that need significant reshaping, spread the work over two or three years.

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When and How to Prune Apple Trees

Apple trees are the most commonly pruned fruit trees in UK gardens, and the timing varies depending on whether you're dealing with a young tree being trained, an established mature tree, or a neglected tree that needs renovation.

When to Prune Apple Trees

The standard window for apple tree pruning is late November through to late February - the dormant season, when the tree has lost its leaves and growth has stopped for winter.

Dormant pruning has several advantages: the branch structure is clearly visible without leaves, disease spores are less active (particularly important for fungal diseases like canker), and the tree has maximum time to seal its wounds before the following growing season.

• Avoid pruning in autumn (September to early November) - wounds made as the tree is entering dormancy seal more slowly than wounds made in early winter, and the conditions for fungal disease entry are often worse in damp autumns.

• Summer pruning (July to August) is appropriate for restricted forms — cordons, espaliers, and step-overs — where you're removing the current season's growth to maintain the tree's trained form. It's not appropriate for standard or bush apple trees.

How to Prune an Apple Tree

For an established apple tree, the priorities are:

• 1. Remove the three D's. Dead, diseased, and damaged branches first. Look for canker (sunken, discoloured bark), fire blight (blackened shoots that look as if scorched), and branches that have rubbed against each other and created wounds.

• 2. Open the centre. Apple trees fruit best on an open, goblet-shaped structure that allows light into the centre of the tree. Remove branches that cross through the centre or that are growing inward rather than outward. A branch that crosses another and will eventually rub against it should be removed - remove the weaker of the two.

• 3. Remove watershoots and suckers. Watershoots are vigorous, vertical shoots growing from the main scaffold branches - they're unproductive and shade the fruiting spurs below them. Remove them at their base. Suckers growing from the rootstock at ground level should also be removed as low down as possible.

• 4. Thin the spurs. On older apple trees, the fruiting spurs (the short, knobbly growths that carry the fruit) can become overcrowded over time, producing many small fruits rather than fewer, larger ones. Thin overcrowded spur clusters by removing the weakest spurs, leaving the most well-positioned and vigorous.

For a neglected or overgrown apple tree: Work over three years rather than attempting to reshape in a single session. Year one: remove dead, diseased, and crossing branches. Year two: open the centre and begin reducing height if needed. Year three: final refinements and spur management.

See the MyBuilder tree pruning cost guide for what professional pruning typically costs for fruit trees.

When to Prune Plum Trees in the UK

Plum trees belong to the Prunus genus - the same family as cherries, apricots, and peaches - and they share a critical characteristic that distinguishes them from apple and pear trees: they are highly susceptible to silver leaf disease (Chondrostereum purpureum), a fungal infection that enters through pruning wounds.

When to Prune Plum Trees

Prune plum trees only from late May through to August — when the tree is in active growth, wound-sealing is fastest, and the spores of silver leaf disease are least active. This window includes June, July, and August as the optimal period.

Never prune plum trees in autumn or winter. The combination of slow wound healing in cold temperatures and peak spore release from silver leaf disease during wet autumn conditions makes winter pruning of plums a significant risk. Even a relatively minor wound made in October can allow silver leaf to establish, the disease is incurable once inside the tree.

What Does Silver Leaf Look Like?

The disease takes its name from the silvery, metallic sheen it produces on the leaves of affected branches. Internal staining (a brown or purple discolouration visible when a branch is cut) confirms silver leaf infection. Affected branches must be removed well below the stain until no discolouration is visible in the cut.

How to Prune Plum Trees

The general approach is similar to apple - remove the three D's, maintain an open centre, remove crossing branches and watershoots. Plum trees tend toward a more open, spreading shape than apples and often require less intervention once established.

Annual pruning should be light: remove any diseased or damaged wood, thin crossing branches, and remove watershoots. Major structural work should be phased over several years if needed.

When to Prune Cherry Trees in the UK

Cherry trees share the same silver leaf disease risk as plums, they're the same Prunus genus, and the same timing rules apply.

When to Prune Cherry Trees

Prune cherry trees between May and August, when the tree is in active growth and wound healing is at its fastest. The ideal window is late June through August, once the fruit harvest is complete for fruiting varieties.

Do not prune cherry trees in autumn or winter. The risk of silver leaf entry through winter pruning wounds is the same as for plums - high, and the consequences are significant.

How to Prune a Cherry Tree

For ornamental cherry trees, pruning should be minimal. Cherries develop naturally attractive forms and generally don't benefit from heavy structural pruning. Limit pruning to the three D's, removal of crossing branches, and occasional shaping to maintain clearance from structures or paths.

For fruiting cherries (sweet cherries, morello cherries), the objectives are similar to apple pruning, maintain an open centre that allows light in, remove watershoots, and manage any overcrowded fruiting spurs. Sweet cherries can grow vigorously and benefit from containment pruning to maintain a manageable size.

When to Prune Olive Trees in the UK

Olive trees are increasingly popular in UK gardens, and their pruning regime is different from fruit trees native to northern climates. Being Mediterranean in origin, they have a different seasonal rhythm.

When to Prune Olive Trees

The recommended window for pruning olive trees in the UK is late spring to early summer - May to June - after the risk of heavy frost has passed and before the tree begins to put significant energy into flowering and fruiting. This timing allows the tree to heal wounds quickly in warm conditions while avoiding cold-weather stress.

Avoid pruning in late autumn or winter in the UK climate - olive trees are not fully hardy in most of the UK, and pruning in cold conditions slows healing and can stress the tree at the time it most needs conserving its resources.

Light tidying - removing dead or crossing twigs - can be done in late summer once any fruit has developed, if needed.

How to Prune an Olive Tree

Olive trees in UK gardens are mostly ornamental and require relatively light pruning. The objectives are:

• Maintain an open structure that allows light and air circulation to reach the centre of the canopy
• Remove any dead, diseased, or crossing branches
• Contain overall size if the tree is in a container or a restricted space
• Remove suckers from the base of the trunk

Avoid removing more than a third of the canopy in a single season. Olive trees respond well to pruning but heavy cutting triggers vigorous, unproductive regrowth that takes several years to develop a balanced structure again.

When to Prune a Magnolia Tree

Magnolia trees are among the more sensitive trees to prune, and the combination of their flower timing, wound sensitivity, and relatively slow wound healing makes the timing of any pruning work especially important.

When to Prune Magnolia Trees

The best time to prune a magnolia is immediately after flowering - typically late spring to early summer (May to June for most species in the UK). This timing allows:

• All the current year's flowers to complete their display before any pruning
• Maximum time for wound healing before winter
• The tree to channel its post-flowering energy into recovery rather than disrupting it mid-display

Do not prune magnolias in late summer or autumn. Magnolias are susceptible to silver leaf and other fungal diseases through pruning wounds, and late-season pruning leaves wounds exposed through the wet autumn period when disease risk is highest.

How Much Can You Prune?

Magnolias should be pruned conservatively, they don't respond as well to heavy pruning as some other ornamental trees. Limit pruning to the three D's, removal of crossing branches, and careful shaping where absolutely necessary. Magnolias are slow to recover from heavy cuts and can look damaged for several years after significant pruning.

If a magnolia has outgrown its space, the realistic options are removal and replacement with a more appropriately-sized variety, or very gradual reduction over multiple years. Hard pruning to reduce a magnolia significantly in one go is rarely successful.

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Pruning Tools and How to Use Them

Using the right tool for each task produces cleaner cuts, less damage to the tree, and considerably less physical effort.

Secateurs: for branches up to approximately 10mm in diameter. Bypass secateurs (two cutting blades that pass each other like scissors) produce cleaner cuts than anvil secateurs (one blade cutting down onto a flat plate). Use for pruning young growth, deadheading, and fine spur work on fruit trees.

Loppers: for branches up to approximately 40mm in diameter. The extended handles provide leverage for cutting through thicker wood without a pruning saw. Available in bypass and anvil types — bypass is generally better for living wood.

Pruning saw: for branches over 40mm. Use a folding pruning saw for branches up to approximately 75mm, and a larger fixed-blade saw for anything thicker. Always cut slightly downward on the underside of the branch first (to prevent bark tearing), then complete the cut from above.

Pole pruner or pole saw: for branches too high to reach safely from the ground. These extend to 3-5 metres and allow safe pruning without a ladder for many situations.

Disinfect tools between trees: this is especially important when pruning cherry and plum trees where silver leaf is a concern. A brief wipe with a diluted bleach solution or proprietary tool disinfectant between cuts prevents transferring pathogens between plants.

Tree Preservation Orders: What to Check Before You Prune

A Tree Preservation Order (TPO) is a legal protection placed on individual trees or groups of trees by a local planning authority. If a tree on your property is covered by a TPO, you must apply to the council for consent before carrying out any significant pruning - failure to do so is a criminal offence that can result in significant fines.

• How to check: Contact your local planning authority and ask about any TPOs on your property, or search the council's planning portal. Many councils have TPO maps available online.

• Trees in conservation areas also have protection, even if not individually listed with a TPO, you must give six weeks' notice to the council before pruning or felling a tree with a trunk diameter over 75mm in a designated conservation area.

• Exempt work: The removal of dead wood or work required for safety reasons is generally exempt from TPO requirements, but it's worth confirming with the council rather than assuming.

How to Find a Tree Surgeon

You can find and compare available tree surgeons near you on MyBuilder. L

Post your job with details of the tree type, approximate size, and what work is needed - tree surgeons in your area will respond with their availability and quotes.

All tradespeople on MyBuilder undergo checks at registration - such as ID documents, company details, certifications for regulated jobs and skill assessments - allowing you to hire with confidence.

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FAQs: Tree Pruning

Can I Prune My Trees Any Time of Year?

For most deciduous trees, late autumn and winter (when dormant) is the standard pruning window and is fine for apple, pear, and most ornamental trees.

Plum, cherry, and other Prunus species must not be pruned in autumn or winter - they should only be pruned from late spring to summer to avoid silver leaf disease. Magnolias should be pruned immediately after flowering. The wrong timing won't necessarily kill a tree, but it increases disease risk and reduces recovery speed.

How Much Can I Prune Without Damaging the Tree?

The standard guidance is never to remove more than a third of the live canopy in a single season. Removing more than this causes significant stress, reduces the tree's ability to photosynthesize, and often triggers excessive, structurally weak regrowth.

For trees needing significant reduction, spread the work over two or three growing seasons. You can browse tree surgery projects on MyBuilder to see what professional pruning looks like in practice.

Do I Need to Treat Pruning Cuts?

Current arboricultural guidance has moved away from wound sealants. Research has shown that most wound sealants don't accelerate wound healing and in some cases can trap moisture and delay the tree's own wound-response processes.

Clean, correctly-placed cuts heal better without sealant in most cases. The exception is for Prunus species (plum, cherry) where some practitioners still use wound paint on larger cuts, though the evidence for its effectiveness against silver leaf is mixed.

What Happens If I Prune a Tree With a TPO Without Permission?

Pruning or felling a TPO-protected tree without consent is a criminal offence under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. Penalties include unlimited fines. The council can also require you to replace a removed tree with one of equivalent size and value, at your own cost. Always check TPO status before any significant pruning work.

See the MyBuilder tree removal cost guide for context on what tree work costs when done properly with all necessary permissions.

When Should I Call a Tree Surgeon Rather Than Prune Myself?

For any work above head height, involving branches over approximately 50mm diameter, trees near structures or overhead cables, or trees with TPO protection, a professional tree surgeon is the right call. Tree surgery is one of the most hazardous trades in the UK - working at height with cutting tools in unpredictable conditions.

See the MyBuilder tree pruning cost guide, tree surgeon costs guide, and tree trimming cost guide for current pricing.