If you want good looking trees in your garden they will need pruning regularly.

Trees respond 1000% the following season not only with sturdy growth but a better crop of fruit and more flowers.

By not pruning you trees each year they will only produce poor quality fruit and flowers.

Coupled with this pruning trees also increased the safety in your garden by cutting out branches that could break off and cause injury or damage to your shed, greenhouse or even your house.

Tools you will need are secateurs, knife, saw and gloves.

Try and imagine how you would like the tree to look after is has been pruned and note the major branches that need removing.

The first thing to do is to identify the main branches of the tree that make up its main “skeleton”. You must avoid removing these branches as they form the backbone of the tree.

You should remove the branches that are parallel to one another, this will allow enough space between each branch allowing them to develop, and the main thing is to leave only the ones that enhance the shape of the tree.

Inward growing branches should be removed, as they will prevent air circulating in the centre of the tree and spoiling its shape.

When trees become too tall they may need to be lowered, before you start cutting stand back and take stock imagining how high you want the tree to be after you have finished.

Special tree paint should be used on all large cut branches; this can be obtained from a local garden centre or shop.

If you have to cut any large branches it is advisable to paint the cut ends with a special paint that can be obtained from a garden store.

Winter is the best time of year to do prune trees when all the leaves have fallen off and the trees have gone into dormancy.

After cutting off the offending branches don’t forget to paint the cut ends.

A container will be needed to dip the blades of your tools into a solution of household beach, the sap from the cut branches can carry disease which will in turn be passed onto the next tree you prune.

Most branches have a collar at the base of the branches, you should leave this, enabling the cut to heal over and prevent any disease getting in and killing the tree.

If you have trees that you rely on to provide shade during the summer, you can thin these out to maintain their shape, but be careful not to lower their height too much or you will reduce the shade you require.

Collecting all the old leaves and any fallen fruit during the winter, before you start pruning will help prevent the carry-over of disease from one season to the other, giving your trees and better start next year.