Winter pruning of apples and pears is best done while the trees are dormant, usually between November and early March in the UK. Here are three useful articles from the RHS that explain what to do for different types of pruning:
- For young standard or bush-trained trees
- Regulated pruning to keep trees from getting too big
- For renovating old or neglected trees
Restricted forms like cordons and espaliers are managed by summer pruning.