Some types of fruit trees grow much more vigorously than others and so the pruning program has to be quite selective. Peaches and nectarines can produce a maze of new branches in just one summer, but apples and quince trees are usually much slower to produce a lot of new shoots. Other fruit trees lie between these extremes.

As well, if you had a good watering regime throughout the past summer, then those trees will need a much bigger trim than those which needed to rely on the occasional rainfall. One friend said to me: "Looking on the bright side of the extreme weather conditions (hot and dry) through the past summer and autumn, you will have much less to prune".

Good tools of the trade are quite vital. If you do not have a good pair of secateurs, loppers and a saw then invest in new tools. I use the Swiss-made Felco secateurs and the French-made Bahco ones are also good. If you are an online purchaser, then the Sydney firm Forestry Tools is a good option for garden tools. Danish-made, fine-tooth saws are quality and inexpensive to buy at the local hardware store.

Before you begin pruning, step back and consider the desired final shape of each tree, taking into account the surrounding plants, levels of shade and amount of overall space. You can dream while your trees look bare to envision the wonderful set of blossoms that will burst forth in the coming springtime and the crop that will follow. Each tree already has set its buds well before now, so when you are pruning, you will take off some fruiting buds, as well as reshaping the tree itself.

Whether you are tip pruning or taking off larger parts of a branch, take care where you make the cut. It needs to be clean, without frayed edges, so keep your tools are sharp. Always prune back to just above the next bud or you will end up with dead tips. Cut at a slight angle and try to select a bud that is on the outside of the branch.

In pruning, the main work requires you to weigh up many elements about shape, size and fruit volumes. So, it is best to first remove any broken and dead branches. It is heartbreaking to see a big branch that took years to grow and then was bent over too much by loads of fruit or was simply broken off by a storm. Most trees, in time, will grow a replacement branch that you can tend and shape to your liking.

Prune off dead branches and shoots. In some years, you may find quite a number of little branches on stone fruit trees have died off but that just happens. As well, look down to the base of your tree and cut away all rootstock shoots. Do not leave stumps but cut them right back to the tree trunk. Pear trees, in particular have a very vigorous rootstock which produce large spikes, so you need to be vigilant and not allow them to grow up and take over.

Now we come to the main pruning regime. I see that there are four main aspects: height, width, density and general shape.

Height

It is best to begin by pruning back to your desired height, when you have established trees that have just kept growing. If you have moved into a new home with an established garden, then you may have the challenge of very overgrown fruit trees.

Some long living trees, such as pear trees, can grow up to eight metres if left unpruned. I once visited a farm where they had permanently positioned three separate wooden ladder sections up an enormous pear tree, to be able to harvest the entire crop each year. As well, soft fruit trees, such as figs and cherries, if left to grow too tall will mean that it is too difficult to net them to protect the harvest from birds (and bats).

If you are agile and happy to climb a ladder to harvest fruit, then you can allow your fruit trees to grow up to three metres in height. However, most home orchardists and many commercial orchardists are now limiting the height of all their trees to around 2-2.5 metres, so that all the crop can be harvested from the ground. You can still get good volumes from lower trees, especially if you also adopt the intensive 1.5 metre space plantings between each tree.

Width

In the old days with big back yards, you could afford to provide your fruit trees with plenty of space. Nowadays, many home growers have quite limited space, so the overall width of each tree becomes critical.

As trees begin to produce a crop, long branches laden with fruit will often bend outwards. This may cause problems with neighbouring trees or shrubs, or just the neighbour being invaded by your trees. Sometimes you need to be severe in pruning for width. Be prepared to remove low, sideways branches completely, if they are causing problems for children playing.

Crowding

This is where you will need to make (many) individual decisions. If you have two branches crossing over and rubbing against each other, then one needs to be pared back. As well, trees that have been well watered over the summer months, especially stone fruits, will produce many shoots and lateral branches. Be prepared to remove quite a good percentage, so that the remaining shoots can have sufficient space to begin producing a good crop of fruit.

Shape

Finally, aim to shape your trees well. With the central leader shaped trees, remove any shoots that are competing with the main vertical leader branches. Also thin out branches and shoots that are crowding the centre of a tree. Light penetration is vital in the summer months, to properly colour up fruit. Remaining branches should be well spaced.

Also note that the more vertical a branch is growing, the more vigour it will have, with lots of shrubbery produced in the following summer. You should be looking to limit vigour and support branches which are more horizontal, in order to promote fruit production.

With trees that grow fruit on spurs, including most varieties of apples and pears, be careful to leave spurs along the branches, apart from overcrowded ones. No spurs mean no crop.

Country Pear and Quince Pie:

3 medium pears

3 quinces

unsalted butter

¼ cup raw sugar

Icing sugar

Pastry

2½ cups plain flour

2/3 cup icing sugar

150g butter

½ cup cold water

Heat oven to 180C. Peel, core and quarter the pears and quinces then cut into chunky slices.

To make the pastry, sift flour then combine with sugar and rub in the butter until mix resembles breadcrumbs. Add water gradually, cutting it into the mixture with a flat bladed knife until it becomes a rough dough. Knead with hands a few times to make the dough smooth. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Grease a deep pie dish with butter. Roll out the pastry out until it is approximately 100mm larger than the dish. Lift the pastry with the rolling pin and place it into the pan. Allow the edges to hang over.

Layer the pears and quinces, sprinkle with the sugar and add dollops of butter on top of the fruit. Fold the edges of the pastry over the filling. A small gap will remain in the centre of the pie, so trim the edges of the pastry to leave a small circle.

Bake the pie for 1 hour, until the filling is tender and the pastry is golden brown. Leave the pie to cool for 20 minutes then sprinkle with icing sugar. Cut into wedges and serve with ice-cream or whipped cream.

This week in the garden

Owen Pidgeon runs the Loriendale Organic Orchard near Hall.