Jones wrote:
Greetings,

Two years ago, I planted several varieties of pear and apple trees in a
small orchard on my property, in central Va.

This year, several of the pears and apples have grown to heights of 10
to 12' tall and put on a good show of blooms, which have subsequently
turned into all manner of pears and apples.

My problem is this : the fruit is weighing down the branches
substantially. I have read that I should prune off the fruit to one
every 4 to 6 inches. But, as I had not expected fruit this year anyway,
I am considering just removing all of the fruit (I am not certain that
some of the branches could hold even one FULL grown apple or pear.)

Pruning gets to be an art form. It is a continuous process and takes
years to get the trees into the right form. That means low branches, in
layers, and spread out like the fingers on your hands. That allows for
sunlight to come in, air flow keeps down diseases, you have access for
spraying and picking.

There are a small number of rules for pruning. First, cut out any dead
wood. Second, cut off the sprouts (suckers) going straight up from the
branches. Third, cut out any shoots that are going back towards the
trunk. Fourth, remove crossed wood.

It's a little hard to say what to do with your situation without being
able to see it. I tend to think you should chop off the central trunk
and let new leaders form over the next few years. Select one as the new
leader and use the others to create another layer of branches.

Remember, fruit trees love to be trimmed and pruned. You can't go
wrong. Be sure to spray at least once a month. This year, I'm making
"bags" to enclose the developing fruit out of old plastic window
screen. I hope this will protect the fruits from birds, squirrels, and
even woodchucks.