Farmall Cub

I bought this place last year and have 6 over grown pear trees,does any one know how to prune them? I know its this time of year but I dont want to kill them! And have overgrown apples too. They all produced fruit last summer,but small and small amounts.I know pruning will help.Thanks Mike

Mike,

This may be of help:
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1150.html

Good luck, enjoy the pears and apples.

Bill

USDA has stuff on that too. Pruning may not make much of a difference this year but it will next year. Apples generally give better crops every other year is what I have found.

I would prune out the center first, cutting off branches that cross other branches, but take no no more than 20 % each year.

Good Luck

Randy

Bill ,I'm sure had the best answer.A few years ago,Iwas living at a place that the next door neighbors had a mini orchard.They did not take care of it.[a long with a lot of other things]They were dwarf trees.Now they are 30 ft andd need major trimming.about 35 to 40 trees and I got tennis elbow from it t[enndinious??].A new neighbor said have at it.The next year not much.That was expected.This past year[last fall]WOW!!!!I had a lot of great bon-fires in January and Febuary,the year I did the trimming.But seeing all the apples and pears,peaches appriocots,it was worth it.I've sinced moved[as usall]and won't get to see how they do.Another person has since moved into the house,and I doubt they will take care of them.Once you get them half decent,takes a lot less time.I plan on planting a few pear and apple trees here at my new place this spring.Kevin I do have a couple of fruit trees and pruned them yesterday.I don't know what they are yet.Be fun to find out they are small

I'm no expert, but I have a few pear trees. I try to eliminate any v shaped limbs. they encourage disease.Also try to prune so some sun can get to the middle of the tree.To keep my fruit consistant from year to year, I remove any pears or apples that are growing closer than the width of my fist.That's the hardest thing to do,but the fruit grows bigger and there is less strain on your trees.

Everything that has been posted is what I try to do on the few trees that we have, and does work!!-----Thats exactly the was I pruned ours and had great results!!! thanks; sonny