Minerette pruning advice needed please

[womble]

I bought these two trees last year and planted them in October. They were cheap end of season from our local garden centre.
I don't know how old they are and I am very confused about pruning them. I've looked at some guides but tbh not only does it seem to go over my head, but they seem to give different advice, prune in winter, only in August etc.

The pear is a Williams bon Chretien and the apple a Egremont Russet. Both say they are minerettes.

So I'm aware I am running out of time to winter prune them, I really need some easy to follow advice please.

[greendean]

found a couple of quote that may help

The only winter pruning required with a ‘minarette’ is the removal of up to a third of the past summers growth

Main stem leader (top bit) prune in Winter/early spring.
Cut back 1/3 to 1/2 of last year's growth. Cut back to a bud.
Once the tree's at the required height cut the leader back to 1cm from
the point of growth (in Winter)

Side shoots. If less than 8 inches, don't prune otherwise prune back to
about 3 leaves above the basal cluster in the summer.
Any shoots arising from existing shoots should be cut back to one leaf
beyond the basal cluster (2-4 small closely spaced leaves at the bottom
of the shoot).

looking at the pictures you need to decide how tall you want your trees to be. trip the centre stem when you are happy with the height. those longer side stems need trimming back to about 8inch. you are trying to great a centre stem with short braches all the way up. always cut with a sloping cut just above the bud

hope this helps

[womble]

Thanks greendean, I think its one of those things that is alot easier to actually do, than learn about by reading.

So do I leave all the little side shoots on them?

[womble]

Ahh, just found on Ken Muirs website, under Ask Ken, apples and pears, a very good guide with pictures! Always useful for idiots. I shall be reading and trying to understand that.

[FB.]

The first picture has far too much growth at the top. It looks like a pear and my pears are now beginning to open their buds, so pruning is getting "iffy".

If you want to maintain the column shape, I would immediately prune all the top branches back to 2-5 buds to stop it turning into a bush-tree. You may want to do the same with the longest of the lower branches.
In August of every year, prune all the new shoots back to 1-4 buds (2-3 buds is best, but not always practical).

If you want it to turn into a bush-tree, then I'd say that all you need to do is cut back half of the head to 1-4 buds and leave the rest.

With the second one (looks like the apple), the shape looks better. If you want it to be a bush, you could probably get away without pruning at all.

If you want it to grow as a minarette, then cut back all the side branches to 1-5 buds and then summer prune as for the pear above.

[womble]

Thanks FB, that's exactly the kind of information I wanted. Generic advice is great, but it doesn't always apply to your own situation.

[BarleySugar]

Good luck, I should have asked for advice last year. I've got 2 'minarette' plum trees, but one 'got away' from me and now looks like a proper tree . I managed to cut back the branches that had gone over the fence to next door last summer, but with plums I can't prune yet. I think it's too late to turn it back to a minarette, and it's about 12 ft tall.