How to prune Cordon Fruit Trees

05/02/2026

This is just about pruning cordons - there is a much longer piece on growing cordon fruit trees if you would like to know more.

Cordons should be pruned every year around mid-August (i.e. about now). Your cordon is ready for pruning when the new side shoots from the main stem(s) become woody at their base. Shorten all of this new growth from the main stem to 3 or 4 leaves above the basal cluster of leaves at the base of the shoot.

Where a shoot from the main stem has a side shoot coming off it, prune this also - to one leaf above the cluster of leaves at its base

Pruning of fruit trees is generally carried out in winter or early spring, except for the Prunus family (stone fruit: cherries, plums, damsons, gages, etc), which are pruned in summer. Cordons are different in that you restrict their growth by pruning now, and the ideal cordon is compact and covered in fruiting spurs (which this treatment encourages).

You can use this technique on any shape of fruit tree if you wish to restrict its size, but at the same time ensure it produces lots of fruit. The trick is to use a M9 semi-dwarfing or MM106 semi-vigorous rootstock.

We hope your plants have grown well this summer (certainly not much need to water!)

Watch your plants grow, and enjoy!

Comments (16)

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Frankie Meek 3 years ago

Thank you for your comment. For advice on further pruning, please take a look at our video. We would not recommend touching the tree that has not put on any growth, particularly if it was last year. If you would like any further advice, please send an email to our customer support team: support@ashridgetrees.co.uk. Kind regards Ashridge.
Ashridge Nurseries 4 years ago

Hi John, we certainly do sell rootstocks for apples, and pears, cherries, and plums.

We recommend Skillcult’s YouTube series on grafting, and his apple videos in general, they are even better than ours.

I recommend buying a few more than you plan to end up with to avoid disappointment if some grafts fail or come out too wonky.

Good luck!
Ashridge Nurseries 4 years ago

Thank you, Peter, we have some content about notching planned. Until then, these videos are great
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCB96zX8DC0
Edward 14 years ago

Hi Veronica,
If the buds lower back on the side-shoots off arising form the main trunk of the tree are still alive, then the same method of pruning that should have been used in the first place can be used. This will cause quite a lot of vegetative growth in the first growing season after pruning: cut this re growth back to one bud up from the basal cluster to form the fruiting spur.
Have fun!
Tree Removal 2 years ago

Great tips! I really loved reading this blog! Very useful and eye-opening tips. Thanks for writing this down and sharing it! I am gonna write these tips down and use them when the time comes. Thanks!