Apple cordon trees

Cordons
A cordon tree is a single stem grown at a 45 degree angle, which produces fruiting spurs along its whole length. They usually reach a height of 2.4m (8ft). Trees trained in this way should always be secured to a framework, such as horizontal wires tied to posts or attached to a fence, with at least a 5cm (21/2in) gap behind them to allow the air to circulate. They should ideally be grafted onto M27, M9 or M26 rootstocks and spaced at least 75cm (2ft 6in) apart.

Planting this way allows many varieties to be grown alongside one another in a relatively small space and you can almost guarantee successful pollination by planting compatible trees together. Growing them at an angle also helps curb excessive growth, which allows the trees to concentrate their energy into producing fruit.

To prune cordon trees this month, cut back each side shoot to three leaves or around 7.5cm (3in). If the shoots have laterals themselves, these can be cut back to one leaf, which will encourage spur growth.

Minarettes
These trees are like cordons, but they are planted upright, producing fruiting spurs along their whole length. As they are grown straight, their stems are usually shorter – if they were allowed to grow to the same size as cordons their height would make them much more difficult to maintain.

Minarettes reach a height of 1.8–2.4m (6–8ft) and can be planted closer together than cordons – you can leave just 60cm (2ft) between trees, which makes them an ideal choice for container growing in small gardens. Just make sure a pollinating partner is located nearby (try Ken Muir, 01255 830 181) and that you water them regularly – otherwise they can become stressed. Prune them in exactly the same way you would cordons, but remove a third of this season’s new growth from the leader to reduce the tree's vigour. A single stem like this can also be trained up arches or pergolas as a decorative feature on your plot.

To prune minarettes, remove all ties joining the stem to the cane and then cut back a third of the current season's new growth from the leader. Prune all laterals to three leaves or around 7.5cm (3in) and any sub-laterals to one leaf, before gently tying the stem back onto the cane.