I have apple and plum trees in my garden that I haven't pruned in about five years. I want to get them back in shape, but I'm worried I might damage something. When's the best time to start pruning and how much of the branches should I remove?
Spring pruning should be started in late March - early April, when there are no more severe frosts but the buds haven't opened yet. For a neglected orchard, it's better to do this in several stages: in the first year remove the thickest and damaged branches, in the second - finish shaping the tree, otherwise it will go into shock and may take a long time to recover. Cut at an angle so water runs off, flush with the scaffold branch - remove overgrown and crossing branches completely, keep the ones that grow at an acute angle to the trunk. There are no special rules about height, it depends on what shape you want: a compact tree or a sprawling one, but usually apple trees are shaped at 1.5 - 2 meters from the ground.
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