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  Geoff Norfolk March 8, 2013 at 5:34pm

  Thanks Ben.... as you say, a photo would have been helpful and with hindsight, I should have taken one lol!
  
  Ben Scott said:

  Hi Geoff,

  Pretty much what you have said, although you can afford to do half the stems this year and half next year, and any water shoots that come up next year just take those back by half.

  Obviously (and I am sure you know) feeding is especially important just to give the tree an extra boost.

  A photo would probably help a bit more with any advice but I think that is all you need to know.

  Sorry for the rather short and succint reply but hope this helps.

  All the best,

  Ben.
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  Simon Smith March 9, 2013 at 2:33pm

  it’s a bit last in the day to start pruning apple trees or pear trees, they should have been done before Christmas or at the latest the end of January, if you prune this time of year, the tree will bleed and infection will take hold, tell the client, it’s not the right time to year to prune and you will come back in December, as for pruning, sometimes it better to be curial to be kind, pollarding the tree, would be the best practice leaving 3 to four evenly space branches, with an open centre trim the branches back about 1 metre from the trunk, the comeback about may of June and thin out the new growth to about three to four growths per branch, then prune the tree every year or couple of years as normal, there will be no fruit for the first couple of year, but you will have a much more manageable tree to work with
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  Geoff Norfolk March 9, 2013 at 6:20pm

  Unfortunately, the client is adamant that its done now... oh well.. hope for the best there. I'm a little bit reluctant to carry out such drastic butchery in one hit.... its the sort of thing gypos do!!... as theres just going to be loads of thin "water shoots" which will probably be all the tree will produce for years!! Unfortunately, it might be the only option.
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  Geoff Norfolk March 9, 2013 at 6:59pm

  Thanks Ben/Michelle..... they're a regular customer.... once every 6 months lol! Actually neighbours... more like old friends than customers. Despite being a little bit late, I thought I'd be ok..... I'll go down the route of doing half this year and half the next..... at least they may get a bit of fruit this year if they're lucky.

  Years ago, I had to severely prune a silver birch in April... couldn't avoid doing it then as it was causing a lot of problems. unfortunately, the sap poured out like a tap was on....... the tree survived and is still flourishing years later.
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  Jen@A&J Owenwindows&gardens March 9, 2013 at 7:12pm

  We did a silver birch in late April at clients insistence a few years ago and it did bleed really badly but actually it seems to have flourished since!
  All you can do is warn people about the right time to prune. I've always done our two apple trees in December and they fruit well (apart from last year)/
  
  Geoff Norfolk said:

  Thanks Ben/Michelle..... they're a regular customer.... once every 6 months lol! Actually neighbours... more like old friends than customers. Despite being a little bit late, I thought I'd be ok..... I'll go down the route of doing half this year and half the next..... at least they may get a bit of fruit this year if they're lucky.

  Years ago, I had to severely prune a silver birch in April... couldn't avoid doing it then as it was causing a lot of problems. unfortunately, the sap poured out like a tap was on....... the tree survived and is still flourishing years later.
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  Simon Smith March 10, 2013 at 8:58pm

  Take a look at this video and you will see what I was trying to explain
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU0LcWqxsts
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  Geoff Norfolk March 10, 2013 at 9:35pm

  Great video Simon..... many thanks. Maybe I'll go for the drastic approach then!!