Pruning and shoot growth
Vigorous growth competes with the developing fruit for available nutrients and water and can often exacerbate problems due to low calcium. Avoid hard pruning in the winter and use an appropriate chemical growth regulator as a means of controlling shoot growth in the spring and summer months
Late summer pruning reduces susceptibility of stored fruit to bitter pit and other calcium deficiency disorders and improves red colour and the efficacy of calcium spraying in the orchard. However, this form of pruning should be limited to the vigorous upright one-year-old shoots and not done too early as re-growth may occur.