
Looking for specific fruit tree training advice. Hopefully, you can see the two attached pictures. Where should I make pruning cuts this winter?
The branching tree is a Bosc pear on standard rootstock. The whip is a Wolf River apple on standard rootstock. Both were planted from bareroot last Februrary. My goal for both trees is a large, wide-spreading form. Not limited on space.

Sorry, I don’t see any photos ...and ‘this moderator’ is likely the least competent for suggesting how to do that
That said, your trees are very young but I've grown both varieties. Pears shoot for the moon - always growing straight up! I’d suggest removing any overly aggressive main leader (center shoot hogging up most of the new growth and energy), then slightly spreading the remaining limbs. Tied over for one season, they’ll become the scaffold (main) limbs of the tree. If the current limbs are balanced, they'd only need spreading. ...I believe 30 degree angles are best..
My Wolf River apple was not a large tree, even on ‘standard’ (full sized) rootstock. I like an ‘open vase’ shaped tree, with 3 to 5 main limbs. If the ‘whip’ (unbranched one year tree) has grown to the height you’d like it to begin branching, snip above the bud you’d like the highest branch, allowing the buds below to form the eventual scaffold limbs. They may be spread next winter, if necessary. My W.R. apple had a naturally spreading form ...whereas the massive apples eventually kept the limbs prettywell spread..
If you want large trees, protect them from predators, keep them clear of grass, and consider allowing them to develop branches higher than a ‘yard tree.’ Personally, I love standard rootstock, giving you the option for as large a tree as you'd like - or, the ability to hone your pruning skills keeping them in check sizewise, if necessary.
So if you figure out how to post the photos, I’ll watch for them. But with your trees being so young, the cuts should be relatively few, though critical. And, welcome to the Forum

Thanks for the detailed response! The pictures I meant to send last time are below. The first photo is the Bosc Pear. The second is the Wolf River. Have any additional comments?
You mentioned 'Wolf River' having a small habit. Which apple varieties would you say grow especially large?

Good photos, and much as I’d envisioned.
I’d cut the central leader from the pear just above the top ‘whorl’ of small branches, I count 4. You could either remove all but those 4 small branches, or, as I’d likely do, shorten the longer branches below by half. The top 4 would become the scaffolds and the bottom 2 (shortened) would remain as feeders, eventually being removed to encourage all growth into the upper 4; just don’t allow them to compete with the top 4.
I’d treat the apple as described before ...not much to work with, but deciding where you’d like your ‘uppermost’ scaffold limbs to develop. I’d again suggest fencing - even if you don’t see deer - they’ll find them… And though I can't see 'grass' for the snow, do keep it hacked back, so nutrients and moisture feed the trees and not the grass.
Gravenstein and Transparent are the most vigorous apple trees I’ve dealt with. On standard rootstock, matched with the “T3’s” below - you’d end up with some massive trees! Do consider ripening dates and pollination; Gravensteins and Transparents are both very early, and the Grav’s need two other viable sources of pollen blooming near the same time (Transparents are one excellent pollinator for Gravensteins...) http://www.homeorchardsociety......varieties/
Have fun

I will make the cuts you recommend. It's different advice than I expected for the pear tree, though. I was sure the two lowest branches would be keepers (wide attachment angles, large size). But I guess keeping the trunk clear until the next higher whorl will facilitate a larger tree down the road. Thanks again!

You’re welcome. Last Spring I planted 6 new fruit trees ..hadn’t done that in awhile. But I made the cuts I’m advising here at planting time. It feels brutal, and some folks can’t bring themselves to making them. But the energy stored in the roots needs to go somewhere, so it heads to whatever you’ve left. Right now I’ve some gorgeous limbed young trees awaiting some light pruning and spreading.
Leaving only the two bottom limbs on the pear would make an unbalanced tree; you want more than two scaffold limbs, and you’d likely want them higher up. As is, those two lower limbs would draw the bulk of the energy, starving the upper ‘whorl,’ over taking them, dominating the structure ...and leaving you with only two scaffold limbs.. I think this is a sound plan, and it’s what I’d do myself.
Keep in mind, if any ‘one limb’ gets too aggressive this summer, you can tip pinch it, removing the tip of the newest forming leaves. Works great, slows up an aggressive branch causing it to split, forming a fork and often encouraging fruit spurs to form behind the cut.
Had you mail ordered your trees, they’d likely have come pruned about as I’ve recommended; partially for size & weight reduction, the other reason being it would form the best set of branches. It’s kinda how I learned ..watching ‘tiny trees’ recover and flourish. Local nurseries realize people assume bigger is better, thus tend not to head or prune their trees as needed…
OK.. Just keep them protected, it’s the only way this will work ~

Viron,
Have another pear training problem for you (see picture). This one is a Suij on standard rootstock. My goal for this tree is the same as the last one.
Just to see if I'm learning your method, I'm going to guess what you'll say. I think you're going to say:
1) cut the central leader off just above the highest branch. This will encourage the other limbs to grow.
2) eliminate the largest branch (third branch from the top) because it is too large and will try to grow vertically. Retain the other three branches that stem from the same whorl. These three plus the highest branch will be the scaffold limbs. Spread them this spring/summer.
3) shorten the branches that originate below the top of the ruler, eventually eliminating them altogether (they are too low to be scaffold limbs, but keep them for now to supply food for the tree)
Let me know if I'm catching on.
Those who aren't Viron feel free to chime in!

Not a lot of viger there. ...and just an aside, watch for meadow vole holes in the ground near your trees … they’re the hidden bane of Willamette Valley fruit trees and can limit viger or kill a tree without much evidence beyond their small diameter ‘no mound’ holes…
OK, I can’t make out the measuring stick there... If it’s ‘one foot’ - I’d want my scaffold limbs much higher… And, it’s so young.. ‘From here,’ I’d halve the most vigorous limb, which appears to be associated with the first whorl from the top, and allow the terminal bud (tip top of pictured tree) to give you another season of up-right growth, in an attempt to begin limbs higher. I’d want the tree to ‘bulk up,’ too, and would remove eventual blossoms (just the flowers, not the fruit spurs) to avoid fruit production and force it’s energy into growth.
And, I’d hack back even more grass, cage it tight, and watch for vole activity.
...If by chance that measuring stick’s a yard stick.. removing the main leader back to ‘the whorl’ and shortening the longest limb by half would leave a decent structure.
Pears are difficult. I’ve two around that size that are going to need ‘spreading’ due to their straight-up growth habit; but you need something to work with, and it may be best allowing ‘straight-up growth’ this year in order to have a stronger structure to work with next year…

One weird problem with pears is that although they often grow in an unnaturally upright manner, they can correct themselves over time. The pear is one of the heavier fruits and it bends the limb back how you think it should. Sometimes when the tree fruits, it bends the limb to a more horizontal direction.(sometimes too far!)
I don't yet have a fool proof method of predicting that, just responding afterwards.
John S
PDX OR

Hey John (or should I say, someone other than me ), I’d always sacrifice early fruit production for a sound structure ..something I could quickly climb into. It’s so nice to have production begin in a tree that’s ‘ready’ for it, as opposed to crops weighing down spindly young branches.
I remember being appalled by pear trees actually laying on the ground with fruit while touring the National Clonal Germplasm Repository in Corvallis. Not alone, our guide quickly described them 'wanting the fastest production possible, and not caring about tree structure or longevity'… Still makes me shiver ~
As you know, leaving my longtime orchard was ..difficult, with one of my proudest personal achievements being the structure and production of my five pear trees - multi-grafts and all… My favorite was a Bosc, what a specimen, and what a pear..
It’s a tuff call advising early pruning on pears, more so than apples. There’s a delicate balance between allowing vigorous growth, in which to train, vs. discouraging the same where it will siphon viger from desirable limbs. Maybe that’s why I notice so many abandoned and neglected straight-up pear tree thickets. So it's great to watch someone learn while they’re young!
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