Fruit Tree Pruning Specialists in Suffolk & Across the UK

Real English Fruit – expert pruning, restoration & care for garden fruit trees

We are Dan and Henry Neuteboom, specialist fruit tree pruners based in Braiseworth, Suffolk. We help garden owners across the UK restore, improve and extend the life of fruit trees through expert, traditional pruning.

We don’t remove old fruit trees — we restore them.

Write to us at enquiries@realenglishfruit.co.uk

 

May Orchard Care: What Your Fruit Trees Need Now

May is a crucial month for your garden orchard. With blossom turning to fruit and growth accelerating, timely care can make all the difference to both crop quality and long-term tree health. We are on hand to assess the fruit trees in your garden and plan corrections as necessary.

Let the Light In

At this time of year, increasing light penetration is essential for all fruit trees — apple, pear, plum, greengage, cherry and more. Trees thrive on sunlight, yet dense growth — especially vigorous vertical shoots — can shade the centre of the tree and reduce productivity. Unlike us, trees can’t adapt to low light: they simply perform worse.

We specialise in expert pruning to open up the canopy, helping your trees produce healthier, better-quality fruit this season. Send us an email (ideally with a photo), and we’ll provide suggestions on the right approach.

Work With Nature, Not Against It

This year, blossom and leaf growth are looking strong across all fruit tree varieties. It’s also a good season for beneficial insects. Ladybirds and hoverflies are natural predators of greenfly (aphids), helping to keep pests under control. Avoid insecticides — they harm these helpful allies as well as the pests.

Monitor Pests Early

You can detect apple and plum sawfly by hanging pheromone traps in your trees — ideally before the end of April or as early as possible in May. Regular observation is one of the best habits you can develop in a garden orchard.

Watering & Mulching in Dry Conditions

Much of southern England has experienced a dry spell since late March. Trees growing in lighter soils may need extra care. Water thoroughly with a hosepipe when needed. Apply well-rotted compost around the base (avoid contact with the trunk) Add a layer of straw to reduce evaporation

Watch for Disease

Check plum and greengage trees for bacterial canker, which appears as brown, sunken patches on the wood. Remove and dispose of affected material promptly to prevent spread.

Pear Trees: Prune With Care

Pears often produce vigorous vertical growth at this time of year. However, heavy pruning now can make the problem worse.

Instead:

• Avoid leaving short stumps
• Cut unwanted shoots cleanly back to the main branch

Frost: Not Always the Enemy

Light spring frosts can actually be beneficial. For a high-quality crop, only about 5% of blossom needs to set fruit. If frost naturally reduces excess blossom, it can lead to larger, better fruit later in the season.

Feeding Your Trees

If your trees look pale or lacking vigour, they may need feeding. Use well-rotted compost (avoid artificial fertilisers). Water regularly to help nutrients reach the roots

Need Advice? We’re Here to Help

If you’re unsure what your tree needs, we can help.

Email us at enquiries@realenglishfruit.co.uk with:

• A photo of the tree
• A brief description of the problem
• Your postcode (trees are site-specific)

We’ll respond with practical advice or a quote.

 

Why Choose Real English Fruit?

Unlike general tree surgeons, we specialise exclusively in fruit trees.

With over 65 years of combined practical experience, we understand how fruit trees grow, decline, and recover. Our work is focused on long-term tree health, productivity, and natural form.

Careful, knowledgeable pruning can:

• Extend the life of old fruit trees
• Improve fruit quality and yield
• Restore neglected or overgrown trees
• Correct poor past pruning
• Reduce disease risk naturally

 

Our Fruit Tree Services

We provide professional fruit tree care for gardens, orchards, and heritage trees:

• Apple tree pruning
• Pear tree pruning
• Plum and cherry tree pruning
• Restoration of overgrown fruit trees
• Restructuring neglected trees
• Improving low or irregular cropping

If you have an old, unproductive, or overgrown fruit tree, we can help bring it back into balance.

Save and Restore Old Fruit Trees

Many people assume that ageing fruit trees must be removed.

We take a different approach.

If your tree is in the later stages of its life, we can often restore its structure, improve its health, and extend its productive years.

Early intervention is key. With experience, it is often possible to identify what a tree needs before decline becomes irreversible.

Specialist Knowledge & Experience

Dan Neuteboom trained in horticulture at Dordrecht and Wageningen in the Netherlands (1955–1959), forming the foundation of a lifelong career in fruit growing.

His knowledge combines formal training with over six decades of hands-on experience, giving Real English Fruit a depth of expertise rarely found today.

Fruit Tree Identification

Not sure what variety you have?

We can help identify fruit trees, although this requires:

• Photos of the tree and fruit
• Size and characteristics
• Ripening period

There are thousands of UK varieties, so accurate identification requires careful assessment.

Grow Healthy Fruit Without Chemicals

We can help you improve yield and tree health naturally, without relying on chemical treatments.

Through correct pruning, structure, and care, fruit trees can:

• Produce better-quality fruit
• Resist disease more effectively
• Remain productive for longer

Seasonal Fruit Tree Care

Spring & Summer Pruning

• Improve light penetration and fruit quality
• Support healthy growth for the following year
• Restructure trees safely

We also advise on environmentally friendly pest control, including pheromone traps for:

• Apple sawfly
• Codling moth
• Plum moth