New To Gardening

Hi all, I've just joined this excellent looking site.
I have a very small garden in London, mostly herbs in a semi formal arrangement in an amongst removed areas of crazy paving. Plus lots of containers and a raised bed.

I have a question. I'm new to pruning trees, and have a young apple, apricot and quince tree.

The quince was planted last year and is in the ground by a south facing fence. Was growing well, but no fruit last autumn. Started to lose its leaves in its first winter, but very late in December. Now in late Jan it still has some branches with green leaves showing no sign of autumnal and winter behaviour which I thought was odd.
Impetuously I decided to remove those branches, except one was the very top - roughly 40cm of the leader...
By lopping off the top of the leader have I potentially damaged the tree entirely?
Should I cut it down further to the first branch?

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner

Taking out the lead shoot should encourage more side growth as the leader sends an inhibitor back down to the other shoots.

Lack of fruit may have been down to a frost at blossom time, leave it for this year and see what happens

 

Thanks for your fast answer!

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner Herbie.

With the new growing season just around the corner you will find plenty going on here. Spring is always a busy time of year for us gardeners with many questions to be answered here on GC also.

 

to the GC "fold" @Herbie and lovely of you to join us

Do not despair, it is still a little premature to expect fruits in such a young tree - you may well be fortunate in fruits this year though.

Next month would be the time to trim your apple e.g. still dormant and prior to blossom coming in. You can take out any crossing branches or any branches which are growing in a direction you do not like.

 

Welcome to the forum @Herbie . If I offer advice please add (spring) or subtract (fall) two months on the timing...