Planted some pear trees years back. Rarely do we get any pears, but the trees are getting big. I would say 12-15 feet tall. The wife was saying that she believes they need lopped off, so they get bushy and produce. I don't know much about fruit trees. Does this make sense to anyone?
Good question! You can prune fruit trees around the end of February to early March before they leaf out with temps under 50 degrees. Fire blight is an issue with temps over 50 degrees.
You can’t fight the natural shape of the tree, but you can correct branches growing in the wrong places by removing them. Branches growing straight up, down or into the tree should be removed. Double branches or any branch rubbing another branch, should be removed. You want to let the air flow through the tree.
Google pruning trees for pictures.
Many fruit trees get fertilizer from the lawn that promotes leaf growth, not fruit. Too much nitrogen! Look for a fruit tree fertilizer to use to slow the growth and produce fruit.
Good luck!