Winter Pruning Basics for Apple and Pear Trees

Dormant pruning — done in late winter before buds break — is the single most important maintenance task for a young or established fruit tree. It's easier on the tree than summer pruning, easier to see the branch structure without leaves in the way, and it sets up the whole growing season ahead.

When to prune

Aim for late winter, after the coldest stretch has passed but before buds swell — typically February into early March in our climate. Pruning too early in a hard freeze can stress exposed cuts; pruning after buds break wastes energy the tree already put into that new growth.

What to remove first

Work through these in order — each pass makes the next one easier to see:

1. Dead, damaged, or diseased wood. Always first, regardless of season.
2. Crossing or rubbing branches. Pick the stronger of the two and remove the other — rubbing bark creates wounds that invite disease.
3. Branches growing straight up (watersprouts) or straight down. Neither will produce good fruit and both crowd the canopy.
4. Suckers from the base or rootstock. These steal energy from the grafted variety above.
5. Crowded interior growth. Good airflow and light penetration reduce disease pressure and help fruit ripen evenly — this is the same principle behind siting trees well in the first place.

What to keep

Look for branches growing outward at roughly a 45-60 degree angle from the trunk — these tend to be the strongest fruit-bearing wood. On young trees, you're mostly choosing and reinforcing a handful of main scaffold branches; on mature trees, you're maintaining the structure you've already built.

A rule for how much to cut

A good target is removing no more than 20-25% of the previous year's growth in a single season. Pruning harder than that on an established tree can trigger excessive regrowth the following year instead of fruit production — it's better to correct a badly shaped tree gradually over two or three winters than all at once.