Pruning can be used to impart any shape to a tree. Apart from inproving the shape of the tree and the style of your garden, pruning is also helpful in the growth of trees.Simple Pruning can be done by simply cutting off the un-needed branches. For shaping up the tree in any particular form, special pruning techniques have to be adopted to give it one of the seven most popular shapes. There are umpteen number of books in any library to guide you through the process.

Pruning should preferably be done in autumn or fall. Since most of the trees do not bear any fruit during this season, you can safely prune the tree to your desired shape, without the fear of losing any of your delicious fruit. Every shape obtained through pruning has its own application and is useful in a particular sitiation. There are plenty of shapes you can choose from.

The most common shape is that of a "Standard Tree". Not much expertise is required to obtain this shape. Just normal pruning is required for your tree to get into the shape of a standard tree. But you should be a bit careful. Reckless pruning could result in getting the tree getting deformed, and spoil its beauty.

A standard tree can be converted into bush tree with the help of pruning. The shape of the branches does not change, but its height becomes shorter. This process is advisable if you do not want to obscure the view, but still want to maintain the trees in your garden, as the tall trees usually block off the views of scenic beauty such as the view of a sunrise behind far away hills. It would be a pity to block off such a beautiful view. Therefore there is no option but to shorten the height of the tree.

Most of the people are not familiar with the type of trees known as cordons. They contain just one stem without any branches. During its growth, all its branches are removed. It is usually planted at an angle, so that it forms an arch over the ground.The main advantage of cordons is that they take up very little space and can be planted in very small areas. The only disadvantage is that it produces very little fruit.

Espaliars are suitable for orchards. It comprises of a vertical stem with horizontal branches on the sides. You can grow symmetrical long rows of such trees in your orchard not at all compromising on the output of the quantity of fruit in your orchard.

Fan Trees are similar to espaliar trees, but have a different shape. It has a similar vertical stem, but the branches sprout upwards iin a slope like a fan. They give an impression of being two dimensional like a photograph. Like espaliars they save a lot of valuable space in your garden, and can be grown in small areas where space is at a premium. However only some selected varieties can be converted into fan trees.

Step-over espaliar is another variation of an espaliar tree. It has one branch going horizontally just above the ground. Apart from providing ample fruit, they also act like a fence thus providing some privacy in the garden. They could be planted in rows along the boundary walls of your garden. It would act like a fruit producing fence.

To sum up, every typical shape described above has its own pros and cons. What looks good in your neighbor's garden may not be fit for the conditions prevailing in your garden. You may take the able guidance from your local nursery, as to what shape would be most suitable for your garden. Lots of help and reading material with illustrations are available online. You will ultimately realize that getting your tree into a desired shape through pruning is not at all difficult as you imagine it to be. You just require some able guidance in the beginning.