PlantLife Online

Answer

Dropping the overall height of fruit trees is a common practice, in fact I recommend that all fruit trees be pruned to a height that you feel comfortable retrieving the fruit safely. Since it sounds like you would like to to this to improve the view I would recommend hand pruning to give the top of the trees a more natural look rather than mechanical methods. Removing the over-growth on the interior will increase light and should improve the crop yield this is also known as Crown Thinning. Crown thinning is the selective removal of stems and branches to increase light penetration and air movement throughout the crown of a tree. Intended to improve a tree's structure and form while making life uncomfortable for tree pests. The non-bearing branch sound be removed they are most likely water sprouts which have developed from the root stock. The best time of year to prune fruit trees is the fall or winter when the tree has dropped its foliage this will give you better access and it is best for the tree. If you choose to prune while the foliage is on the tree remember the 25% rule, which is to never remove more than 25% of a trees foliage in a single growing season.