Pruning mature trees consists of balancing vegetative growth with bearing wood. Apple and pear trees normally bear on the terminal end of spurs located on wood 2 years old or older. Fruit spurs are productive for at least 5 years and longer, although the best production is from fruit wood that is 3 to 5 years old. As the trees reach 6 to 8 years of age, you should start to renew the fruiting spurs by pruning out one-third to one-fifth of the older fruit wood. Avoid cutting out large scaffold limbs because they tend to decay. Also avoid cutting into the branch bark ridge, which is where new tissue that promotes wound closure originates.
Proper pruning can help prevent diseases such as powdery mildew, fire blight, and bacterial blast and canker. Do not overprune as this may lead to sunburn, which may make trees susceptible to borers.
