[courgette]

Hi

sorry if this has been asked before....

I have bought a couple of 1 year maiden apple trees & they're still in containers (I hope to plant at weekend)....I want to train these as cordons & I have the pruning guidelines where to cut etc, but it doesnt say WHEN to cut.....can I do this now before I plant out? They're in blossom now to, so not sure if that makes a difference as the picture with the guide just shows leaves on the sample tree.

[SG6]

Plant them, angle the leader and prune the laterals to a bud or two.
The first year there is not expected to be any fruit.
Simply over works the tree too much.
Subsequent years prune laterals to 3 or 4 leaves.

You probably know but just in case: Do not prune the leader.
If you do then the laterals just behind will be stimulated to greater growth and the cordon will become unbalanced.

Bits I have implies summer and what I assume is winter pruning. Seems odd as the tree will send out growth in Spring and that is what you want to control.

Another reference mentions just summer prune for cordons. Again doesn't seem quite right, owing to growth.

Think I had better let you decide when to prune and how often.

Just do the one prune in the first year, don't do a summer one.

[Johndeb]

Do not prune the leader. If you do then the laterals just behind will be stimulated to greater growth and the cordon will become unbalanced.

....

Another reference mentions just summer prune for cordons. Again doesn't seem quite right, owing to growth.

For what it is worth we DO prune the leader and then take a dominant growth to become the new leader. Makes to cordon put out more side branches.

Summer pruning really is done in the summer.  By taking off all that lovely freah growth, you reduce the amount of sap that can drop into the roots in autumn.  This reduces the vigour of the cordon which helps keep it in bounds...  You should do this even on an M9 rootstock.

Good luck