Training and Pruning Your Home Orchard, a free publication from Oregon State University, advises gardeners to "Prune when all danger from fall or early winter freeze has passed, but before full bloom in spring." But, if the tree has started growing, then wait until the leaves are fully expanded, which will occur a bit later in the season.

That said, when you prune, limit the removed live wood to 20 percent of the total. Doing so will give the tree the best chance to thrive. From that time forward, plan to prune every year. Depending upon the tree’s current status, you may need 2 or 3 years to complete the task.

Another part of pruning is to remove the excess fruits a month after bloom. With Asian pears, keep only one fruit per cluster, with the goal to retain just one healthy, small fruit per 8-inch length of branch.  Even though removing the excess fruitlets will look as if you are discarding more than you keep, the pears that mature will be large and have excellent quality.