How to prune a 30' pear tree?

[Jeekinz]

I have a huge pear tree thats interfering with other trees now. It still bears fruit. How/when should I cut it back?

 

[Maintenance supervisor]

Pruning during dormancy is highly recommended, trees expend alot of resources in the spring pushing leaves out so not really the best time to start lopping parts off to heal up.
As fall approaches late summer can be ok .

 

[Jeekinz]

Thanks. How much can I prune it back?

 

[Maintenance supervisor]

You can remove at least 30% of a crown as long as your cuts are very clean an dont go past the branch collar into the trunk.
Id start with all the little branches that are considered "suckers" and move up from there.
Just keep in mind that your equipment needs to be EXTREMELY sharp, like scares you to slip with it sharp.
And always under cut the hanging branches 1/4 so as not to peel bark down the limb into the main trunk.

 

[Cricket]

You can remove at least 30% of a crown as long as your cuts are very clean an dont go past the branch collar into the trunk.
Id start with all the little branches that are considered "suckers" and move up from there.
Just keep in mind that your equipment needs to be EXTREMELY sharp, like scares you to slip with it sharp.
And always under cut the hanging branches 1/4 so as not to peel bark down the limb into the main trunk.

I swear I can hear my mother giving me this lecture when I was a kid.

Of course, this was the woman who I think could have grafted a toothpick to a broomstick and gotten fruit the following year - so I tended to listen.

 

[Maintenance supervisor]

In 2001 I did get my Master Gardeners certification in topiary pruning, at LockHaven university.
One thing I can say is that if a fruit tree has never been pruned its gonna potentially look shockingly bad for the first year but you'll get a healthy tree and better quality fruit.