How Do You Prune a Cordon Apple Tree or Gooseberry?

A cordon is one of the most space-efficient forms in fruit growing. Apple, pear, redcurrant, whitecurrant, and gooseberry cordons grow as a single main stem — vertical or at an angle — with short fruiting spurs along its length. You can fit four or five apple cordons in the space required by a single freestanding tree, and each one will produce a useful harvest. The trade-off is that cordons need twice-yearly pruning — once in summer and once in winter — to keep their compact spur systems productive.

Planting and Initial Training

Apple and pear cordons are typically planted at a 45-degree angle, which slows vigour by restricting sap flow and allows the stem to extend further before it reaches the top wire. Set up support wires at 60 cm, 120 cm, and 180 cm on a fence or post system, and tie a cane at 45 degrees for each cordon. After planting a maiden whip, do not cut the leader — allow it to grow and extend. Remove any flowers in the first year so the tree establishes root growth rather than fruiting immediately.

Summer Pruning Cordons

The main pruning event for cordons is in mid-July to early August — when the base of the current season's shoots has turned woody and brown rather than remaining soft and green. Shorten all lateral shoots growing from the main stem back to three leaves above the basal leaf cluster. Any shoots growing from existing spur systems should be shortened to one leaf above the basal cluster. Do not touch the main leader shoot unless it has reached the top wire.

Winter Pruning Cordons

In winter, shorten any laterals that were summer pruned but have since pushed out secondary growth back to one bud. Thin overcrowded spur systems by cutting out the weakest and most congested growth. On very old cordons, entire spur systems may become overly complex and should be thinned back to two or three strong buds to improve fruit size and quality. When the main leader has reached the top wire, tip it back by a third each winter instead of allowing it to extend further.

Gooseberry Cordons

Gooseberry cordons are trained as a single vertical stem on a post and wires. Summer pruning in June — shortening all laterals to five leaves — is the key maintenance task. In winter, shorten these same laterals to two or three buds to develop compact fruiting spurs. Allow the main leader to extend until it has reached the top wire, then tip it back by half each winter. Gooseberry cordons are particularly productive on a limited length of fence and make harvesting much easier than from a thorny bush form.