Here at Stephanie’s Kitchen Garden this week we will be pruning our trained fruit trees. Our espalier apple trees have put on lots of growth and this is the perfect time of year to restore their shape.
We will be pruning any sideshoots from the horizontal branches to 3 leaves from the base cluster. Any shoots that have been formed from sideshoots that were previously pruned will be cut back to 1 leaf. Sideshoots that have developed towards the top of the main stem will be tied in to the Gripple support system to create a new layer of branches to the espalier.
Our pear arch will also be pruned in the same way. We will need a ladder for this one as the pear arch is quite high. Following pruning, the trees will be given a generous seaweed feed.
This week we will be harvesting kale, beetroot, salad leaves, blueberries, strawberries, tomatoes, cucumber, courgettes, mangetout, French beans, runner beans and broccoli.
