early years of the tree’ s life are dedicated to the shaping and formation of a good frame. You want a solid trunk with three to five good lateral branches. Some trees display apical dominance so it might be necessary to remove the main leader, leaving three to five good side branches to form a bowl or vase shape.
Before making the first cut, walk around the tree and look at it from all angles. You will be able to see where you will be working and which areas need more pruning than others.
First, remove any diseased
or damaged wood. Then, cut away any branches that cross one another or create too much shade for other branches. Next, prune back the leaders to reduce the overall height of the tree. Each branch should be pruned to resemble a herringbone, with all the upper and lower branches removed, leaving only those on the left and right of the leader. In this way you keep the centre open for light and air to get through.
When pruning apples and pears, you want to encourage production of as many small spurs as possible, since these