now is the best time, the tree will still be dormant. the verticle shoots are called suckers. those should be cut every year

macoun23 is right. Normally, I'll prune my apples and pears in March. The other thing that you may want to do though is to follow this up in June and July. By then, you'll be getting the next flush of sprouts. At that stage, they will be tender and easily knocked off the tree. That little effort in the summer will channel the energies of the tree into the fruit and next years fruiting spurs and discourage the production of enormous sprouts that will need removal later.
Mike

jvarner:

I am in full disagreement with macoun, and even partial disagreement with the appleman. You haven't really seen thin, vertical shoots on your pear tree, until you prune now while the tree is still dormant. You will end up with double or triple the number you have now, as each pruning site sprouts three of four new shoots.

Instead, prune apple and pear trees only in late summer, after terminal buds begin to form on that season's growth. This will make the tree more fruitful, and discourage unwanted vegetative growth. Prune no earlier than mid-July, and it is better to wait until August.

I figured this out after experimenting about 10 years ago, and it has made all the difference in the fruitfulness of my apples and pears, and the appearance of the trees.

Stone fruits are a different story, and I do dormant prune things like cherries, peaches and apricots that depend on renewal wood. However, I also prune peaches in summer to keep the shade off the fruit.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

I hope this discussion continues- I need to know more about this. Please- Macoun and Appleman, state your cases as thoroughly as you can. (I think Don's done that already.)

I understand that there can be no absolute rules for absolutely every condition and situation, and I will never live long enough to figure it all out on my own. That the three of you, each well qualified in your own right, discuss the disagreement in public is a great service.

Thanks,

Mark

"The lyfe so shorte, the crafte so longe to lerne."

I also hope we can hear more about this topic, and in depth. So many of us could really profit from such a discussion!

Mark:

Take two of your trees, and try it both ways. I rest my case.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

I don't grow the the more fireblight susceptible pears like Bartlett, so I only know what I read. Recent wisdom from professionals is that growing-season pruning cuts are likely entry points for FB (to form cankers) and that winter pruning seems immune to this, it being presumably too cold for the bacteria to get a start and by the time it's warm enough the wound has healed.

Thank you all for your opinions, varied as they are! Based on your responses, is there any value in waiting until the tree comes out of dormancy for a week or so and then pruning off the suckers, to avoid the multiple sucker growth refered to by Jellyman? Or how about pruning them now to a few inches, and then later cutting them down to the end?

As for the fireblight issue that Gonebananas brought up, is there some sort of antibiotic that can be put on new cuts to prohibit bacteria like FB from gaining a foothold while it's healing?

I don't have a web page to put a photo, but I just added one to the garden web galleries, so you can see how badly the tree needs some attention! Thanks again for your help.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bartlett Pear before pruning

Thanks, Don- I'd love to. But it was a struggle getting Herself to cede the space for even one pear! I never argue about her peonies, roses, or even the stinking barberry, but what's a guy gonna do ... ? :-)

Don, you clearly know your stuff and speak from experience, so I'm not about to disagree with you. Nonetheless, there does seem to be a legitimate debate on the subject, and I do feel privileged to be able to listen in on it.

Thanks again to all who contribute.

Best,

Mark

As I read a little more on the "ugly stub" method of pruning (leaving a stub at the base of the branch you are pruning out in summer, with the stub to be cut off more safely in winter) I see that some theorize that this is needed in fireblight pruning because the branch is infected all the way down (just not being a problem in the woody part) and a canker will form at the cut surface in warm weather. If this theory is so, and the tree you are cutting is not fireblight infected, then warm-season pruning is probably harmless. At least one other article I read suggested that it was the cut becoming infected from the outside, though, and that's a different matter.