Now is the time to cut back this years growth on spur-bearing varieties of trained forms (cordon, espalier, fan, stepover etc) of pears and apples so that more sunlight can reach the fruit. It also improves airflow and reduces the opportunity of fungal diseases. Simply cut back new shoots longer than 20cm to 2-3 leaves above the basal cluster of leaves (the darker green leaves at the base of the stem). Shoots less than 20cm long may terminate in fruit buds so it's best to leave these. Any very vigorous vertical growth (water shoots) can be removed completely. There are further benefits to doing this - pruning helps to maintain the shape of the trained form and will encourage fruit bud formation next year at the expense of new wood.
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