When to Prune Fruit Trees in the Netherlands: our Complete Pruning & Harvest Guide

If you've got a fruit tree or two in the garden, or a small home orchard, you've probably already got a good idea when to pick up the secateurs to harvest the fruit. But the right timing isn't always obvious. It varies depending on the type of tree, the year's weather, and how old or healthy the tree is.

Getting the timing right is essential for getting the best from your crop: prune too early or too late and you risk weak fruit production, invite disease, or put unnecessary stress on the tree. Harvest too soon or too late and you risk losing flavour, storage life and yield. This pruning guide for the Netherlands walks through exactly when to prune fruit trees, tree by tree, and how to do the job safely once you're up in the canopy.

Dutch orchard calendar: harvest and pruning periods by fruit type

The calendar below shows when to harvest and prune the fruit trees most common in gardens and orchards, including the walnut, popular in the Netherlands for its shade and autumn harvest. Harvest dates vary by region and variety, so treat them as a guide. However, pruning periods are more fixed for every tree here, set by biology rather than by the weather in any given year.

When to prune orchard trees

Pruning apple trees and pears: prune while the tree is dormant, from November to early March, choosing a dry, frost-free day. With the leaves gone, you can see the whole framework. Aim for an open, well-spaced shape that lets light and air reach the centre of the tree.

Start by removing dead, damaged and crossing wood, then thin out congested spurs, taking off no more than a quarter of the canopy in a single season. Cutting harder than that in one go can shock the tree and trigger a flush of soft, unproductive growth the following spring. An old, neglected tree is best renovated gradually, spread the hardest cuts across two or three winters rather than taking it all back in one session.

Cherries and plums: prune only after harvest, never in winter. Cuts heal faster while the tree is still in full summer growth, dormant-season wounds are slower to close and more vulnerable to infection. Cherries are pruned as soon as picking finishes, while plums are pruned from September onwards. Keep the work minimal; a light thinning of crossing or crowded branches is usually enough. Plums don't need the heavy annual restructuring that an apple tree does, and over-pruning stone fruit tends to do more harm than good.

Walnut: pruning a walnut tree follows different rules to the rest of the orchard. If you cut it while dormant, as you would an apple, the tree bleeds sap heavily from the wound, weakening it rather than shaping it. Instead, prune in July or August, while the tree is in full leaf, when sap flow is at its lowest and cuts close over cleanly. Keep it light: remove dead or crossing branches and any growth that's crowding the crown. Walnuts don't need or want heavy annual pruning.

Safe pruning: choosing and using the right ladder for trees

Orchard ground is rarely level. Mole hills, roots and soft turf all make a standard ladder unstable, and standing on an uneven base is one of the most common causes of garden accidents. Our tripod ladders settle safely on this kind of terrain: three independently adjustable legs let you set a level platform on a slope or over a root, and the single rear leg goes into the canopy instead of around it, keeping you square in front of the branch rather than reaching past it. Professional landscapers like Van de Brug Hoveniers use this same setup to work safely at height on a daily basis.

When working at height on a ladder, falls mostly happen from overreaching, not from the ladder itself. This is why sizing matters as much as stability: buy a ladder for the tree you prune most often, not the tallest tree you have. Henchman's Fully Adjustable Tripod Ladder suits most garden apple and pear trees and is certified to EN131 with a 150kg load rating.

If you're unsure which height fits your trees and terrain, we have a ladder finder tool that walks you through the selection in a couple of clicks. Happy pruning!

FAQ

When should you prune an apple tree?

The main pruning window is covered above. However, cordons, espaliers and fans don't follow the winter rule: they're pruned lightly in August instead, since summer pruning restrains growth rather than encouraging it, which is exactly what a trained shape needs.

Can you prune a walnut tree in winter?

No, this catches people out because it goes against everything they know about pruning apples and pears. Besides timing, walnuts are also more sensitive to over-pruning than other trees. A hard cut can trigger dieback further down the branch, not just at the wound itself, so light, infrequent pruning is the safer approach even within the correct summer window.

What's the most common mistake people make when pruning fruit trees?

Pruning stone fruit like cherries and plums in winter. It's the single biggest cause of disease problems in Dutch orchards. Cool, damp winter air lets infection into fresh cuts, while summer cuts heal over quickly. If you only remember one rule, prune pome fruit (apples, pears) in winter, and stone fruit (cherries, plums) in summer.

How much of a fruit tree can you prune at once?

No more than about a quarter of the canopy in a single season, for pome fruit especially. Take more than that and you risk shocking the tree into a flush of weak, unproductive growth the following year. An old, overgrown tree should be renovated gradually over two or three winters.

When is it too late to prune?

For apples and pears, once blossoms appear in spring you've missed the pruning window; wait for the following winter. For cherries and plums, stop once the harvest finishes. Wounds heal more slowly after that and the disease risk starts to climb.

Do young fruit trees need pruning too?

Yes, the first few years shape the tree for life. Focus on building an open, well-spaced framework and removing competing leaders. Young stone fruit still waits for its summer window, regardless of age.

What else do you need to prune fruit trees, besides a ladder?

A sharp pair of secateurs for anything pencil-thick or under, loppers for slightly thicker branches, and a pruning saw for anything too thick for loppers to handle cleanly. Keep the blades sharp and wipe them down between trees. A clean cut heals faster than a ragged one and disinfecting your tools between trees helps stop disease spreading if one tree turns out to be infected.

How do I know if my ladder is still safe to use?

Check it before every season, not just when something looks obviously wrong. Look for cracks or bent sections in the frame, worn or loose feet, and make sure all the locking mechanisms engage properly. Our safety inspection guide for tripod ladders covers the full checklist.