Dustin:

Type "fruit tree pruning" into your Google search, and you will find more than 100 websites devoted to this subject, many of them with helpful illustrations. Choose a few of them that sound good, and read up a little. I am not trying to slough you off exclusively on websites; there are plenty of people here who will be willing to offer you advice. But a little advance reading will help you familiarize yourself with the basic principles of pruning, and the terminology that fruit growers use on the subject.

Should you return here to clarify or expand on what you have read, it would be helpful to be more specific about the types of fruit trees you have, their approximate age, and their size. If you planted them yourself, even variety information might be helpful. This will assist people who may be able to advise you on specific questions.

Eight years is certainly long enough between prunings, but lack of fruit can also be due to insect activity and sometimes diseases. So it can also be helpful to describe any disease or insect problems you may have observed on your trees. Pruning is an important part of fruit tree care, but the most successful backyard fruit growers also keep a pretty close eye on both the trees and fruit for other problems as well.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Are there any books that anyone has read that they thought were well written on tree pruning? I have checked out some weak books at our local library so before I waist anymore time with any more not helpful books that give advice like "do it the correct way" but nothing for application I would like to get some thing with some meat in it. Once I have read some good information then I will hopefully have a better foundation to work with. Thanks Dustin

Here in California our county extension offices have useful pamphlets with pruning information of specific fruit crops, usually free for the asking. I would expect the same for Nevada. Al

There is an Ortho book on pruning that has lots of nice pictures of the different types of pruning shapes (open vase vs. central leader, etc...) I found mine used at a local book store. It is one of those little thin books and has pruning info on all sorts of trees and bushes. I've been using mostly because the pictures give a very good idea of what you are aiming for. Once you know the shape you want, you'll have to go out and experiment a bit with how to get it.