Many gardeners fail to even think about pruning their trees until they start to bear fruit. This is a huge mistake, and you should never neglect to care for a tree just because it has not yet begun to produce. You should prune the tree in a way that it is even and uniform during the entire process of growth.

When it does start to produce fruit, the results will be significantly greater, because of your care. It is very easy to tell the difference between a tree that has been pruned regularly during its growth, and one that has been neglected. Generally the shape of the tree is much better looking, if it has been pruned.

The first thing to look for when you start pruning fruit trees is any branches which are dead or diseased. These are quite easy to recognize, as they usually bear no fruit, and might be misshapen or discolored. Sometimes a branch can be dead or diseased without seeming to be. If this is the case, simply wait until the fruit tree is flowering and it will stand out by not growing anything.

The second type of branch to remove is the branch that is too close to all the other ones. If it grows at such a length and angle that the end is right next to many other branches, they might end up crowding each other out. Take off the smaller of the two branches to allow the larger one to have more breathing room. This same rule applies to the weight balance of the fruit tree you are pruning.