(This is not an extract from the book)the best time to prune plum trees is when they are laden with fruit, and in dry, sunny weather. apple trees benefit from pruning to the third bud in late winter, and sticky tar should pe put all around the trunk to stop climbing moth and other insects. The young apples should be thinned to one or two per cluster. Choosing the middle fruit of the cluster to remove will increase the chance of eliminating worm in the crop. gooseberries and red/black currants need to be kept airy, so thinning the old central shoots is essential in autumn or spring.