Pruning is necessary for good health and production of any fruit crop. Apple trees in particular love pruning and actually are stimulated to grow more and produce more fruit when pruning is done. The added benefits are less disease and inscect pressure on the tree. This is due to better air movment yielding leaves to dry faster in the morning sun or after a rain shower.
 

                Explanation of Fruiting Wood:
 
Apples fruit on second year wood. This means the wood that grew last summer will produce fruit this year. This is crutial for the first-time pruner to understand. If you go around the tree and shape it into a beautiful landscape tree in your front yard much of the fruit will be cut off. After 2 or 3 years of pruning like this there will be no young wood left in the tree and probably zero fruit left. This answers your question, "where are all my apples?". 
 
An apple tree will fruit on older wood also BUT the second thing to remember is light is required to initiate fruit buds. The initiation of fruit buds is in August. This is the kicker. The only way to get a great crop of fruit is to have the tree pruned hard enough to allow light to penetrate the canapy and reach the branches of the tree. 
 
more coming soon