Need some trimming help

[35-acre]

I have a pear and an apple tree that I need help figuring out the right way to trim/prune it. They are both 3 year old trees. I tried t take pictures so that the tree stood out on the skyline. I'm not sure how many main branches I should have. This is the pear:



This is the Apple:

 

[Prof.Kent]

Prune off damaged branches and branches growing inward. I can't really tell whats going on for the pear, the picture is too dark. But try to keep one central leader and then just let it grow. The more you prune threes back the more they like to regrow vegatatively. The more you let them go the sooner they will produce fruit. There is a balance there you'll have to figure out. After several years of trying to change apple trees' natural tendencies I've decided on my next orchard to mostly prune to a single leader and let the tree go until it matures (starts bearing) an then cut back the central leade, but not until it ahs outgrown the deer. That seems to be working better for me.
The apple is tough. It is a triple central leader and will give you problems in the future if you don't cut off the left leader and the right leader. If this tree is for deer I would definitely cut the both off and let the tree get taller and out of the deer's reach. Some day you'll want to remove the fence.
I suggest taking videos before and after pruning the trees each year. Replay the videos each year and ponder on what you you have created.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I agree with Prof.Kent on the apple pruning. I'd take off the fork on the right in your pic., and also the one on the left. I'd let the straight central leader with the 3 shoots at the top. I'd keep the most aggressive, strong one of the 3 shoots to be the central leader. This will make the tree grow upward instead of wasting energy on the other forks which you'll prune off eventually anyway - if you want to keep deer from damaging them.

Most of us on here try to shape our trees so the lowest scaffold limbs are at least 5 ft. above the ground - preferably 6 ft. or more. Keeps deer damage to a minimum. Putting clothes pins directly above new limb shoots that grow off the central leader will help develop good, strong crotch angles on the scaffold limbs. Good angles will help hold future fruit loads without breaking the limbs.

 

[buckdeer1]

I try to watch the size of cages on my trees as it appears to me that limbs want to grow inward once they get close to the cage,Don't think apple looks too bad and pears usually want to grow high and tight vs apple trees wider

 

[cavey]

I would prune... now is the time to set the future growth pattern/shape of the trees and get things going in a direction you really want. I've learned the hard way for being overly cautious. You can be aggressive with pruning early on and it will only benefit the tree in the long run. Now I walk up to young beautiful & tall apple trees in my nursery and often top them back down a couple feet.


I lieu of a larger cage which bigger is always better in my opinion ... simply because a larger cage will let some of those lower branches grow out with better crotch angles and you could try and pull down the lower ones (maybe they are big enough that you may damage the tree sometimes they do often bend down enough to improve the branch (weighted or tied down) without breaking).

I like lower branches (people have different ideas on this - there is no real right answer) on my deer apple trees for one reason - bucks cant get into rub the trunks once I pull the enclosures. So a large cage to me is more ideal but...... Im tightening up my fence diameter just due to costs and with that comes those higher up "lower" branches - great for mowing around but bad due to bucks potentially rubbing the trunks AND....... they will. I have pics! I know lower branches are a hassle to deal with but they are protection for the tree... and plan on keeping the window screen on for as long as you can - years longer than you think you should.

So the apple tree ... I would likely do this - with a bigger cage I would pull the left limb down; with your cage I would cut the left limb at what looks like a branch coming off that limb, I would cut the lower right mess you got going on totally off. I would pick one of the three leaders at the crown to keep and cut the others back for scaffold branches and let the best one run as the central leader. In this case I think if you keep what you have you'll be fighting an open center type approach and the tree will suffer in the long run. Get cut happy and do your tree a favor.

Its always a gamble but I think its a start. The above is just an opinion -- the fun is picking a path and wondering if it was the right way. Read up on nicking the trunk to promote lateral branching if none of those side branches take off growing. I wont say more on that because I have not mastered that at all yet.

The pear like others mention they like to grow straight up - I struggle with the few trees I do have on what to do.

 

[H20fwler]

Agree with other posts, try and get a good single leader going on trees that size and cut anything growing in or that crosses. I "try" and keep any branches below 4'-5' trimmed off but usually miss some then it gets too late in spring to be cutting so I try and get them the next winter.

I try and prune pears the same but in the end a pear is going to do what a pear wants to do.

 

[Skelly]

I agree with Cavey on the right and left limbs. I differ in the thought of those top limbs that are fighting to be the central leader.
It looks like you cut the central leader off (I could be wrong) and now it starting branching with 4”-5” of the cut.
I would suggest to weigh down the 3 that you don’t want as the central leader. They look to be some good angle branches I have made made concrete weights using various containers. Below is one I made with trays that annuals usually come in Early this summer I had a lower limb starting to out compete the central leader. I just added a weight for about 3 weeks and the central leader just took off.

I addd the weight to the top right limb and the central leader added about 2’ of growth

As for the pear I got nuttin for ya. Pear just does what it wants. I’ve stopped trying to train the branches.
Good luck.

 

[35-acre]

Thanks! Marking up the photo is really helpful. Going to give that a run in the next month or so. I hope I get fruit this year.

I would prune... now is the time to set the future growth pattern/shape of the trees and get things going in a direction you really want. I've learned the hard way for being overly cautious. You can be aggressive with pruning early on and it will only benefit the tree in the long run. Now I walk up to young beautiful & tall apple trees in my nursery and often top them back down a couple feet.


I lieu of a larger cage which bigger is always better in my opinion ... simply because a larger cage will let some of those lower branches grow out with better crotch angles and you could try and pull down the lower ones (maybe they are big enough that you may damage the tree sometimes they do often bend down enough to improve the branch (weighted or tied down) without breaking).

I like lower branches (people have different ideas on this - there is no real right answer) on my deer apple trees for one reason - bucks cant get into rub the trunks once I pull the enclosures. So a large cage to me is more ideal but...... Im tightening up my fence diameter just due to costs and with that comes those higher up "lower" branches - great for mowing around but bad due to bucks potentially rubbing the trunks AND....... they will. I have pics! I know lower branches are a hassle to deal with but they are protection for the tree... and plan on keeping the window screen on for as long as you can - years longer than you think you should.

So the apple tree ... I would likely do this - with a bigger cage I would pull the left limb down; with your cage I would cut the left limb at what looks like a branch coming off that limb, I would cut the lower right mess you got going on totally off. I would pick one of the three leaders at the crown to keep and cut the others back for scaffold branches and let the best one run as the central leader. In this case I think if you keep what you have you'll be fighting an open center type approach and the tree will suffer in the long run. Get cut happy and do your tree a favor.

Its always a gamble but I think its a start. The above is just an opinion -- the fun is picking a path and wondering if it was the right way. Read up on nicking the trunk to promote lateral branching if none of those side branches take off growing. I wont say more on that because I have not mastered that at all yet.

The pear like others mention they like to grow straight up - I struggle with the few trees I do have on what to do.

 

[Charman03]

It looks like you went with the open middle tree shape. I see three “trunks” going upright. Would be nice to make that highest one a central leader but long term I don’t know what that branch angle does. It’s essentially a scaffold limb that you are now growing into a leader.
In the future by year 2 cut most of that low stuff off. I know it’s hard bc they are the bigger branches at the time but it’s best to do that

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Skelly - Those cement limb weights are the ticket! I saw another example of those online and they're easy to make & cheap for what they accomplish. Thanks for posting.