The Message Board

pruning old neglected apple & pear trees

Posted 150 days ago

On our block, we have a really old, neglected apple tree & same condition pear tree. The apple tree is very short, only about 5ft high, twisted & leaning to one side & has very woody, sparse, spindly branches with heaps of fruiting spurs. The pear tree is similar but straight, with not many branches & a lot of spurs. I was wondering if there is a way of recovering the trees with the right pruning? All the articles I read aren't terribly helpful because they usually apply to really big trees. I think ours are stumpy because they have been choked by kikuyu (which I now clear from around them). I managed to get many bigger apples after pruning off quite a few little spurs last season, but if I pruned off everything they generally advise to do, I would have nothing left. I am always tempted to give up on the two trees but they both produce delicious fruit, even if I only get about 10 pears & 20 apples a season. I would just love to 'rescue' them & turn them into the fruit trees of my dreams. Is it mission impossible? Would love any advice, thanks heaps.