Should I Cut Back Bareroot Apricot After Planting and Leafing Out?

Q. I planted several bare root fruit trees about three weeks
ago.   They were shipped to me about four
foot tall. I did not want to trim them until I could see some growth. They have started to leaf out except for the
apricot. The apricot is the
one that concerns me. It has no
branches below the 2 ft level, six branches above 2 feet, and no visible growth
yet.  Everything else looks good. My question
is will it harm them if I cut them down to the 2-1/2 ft level at this
time.  Or, should I leave them alone to
establish themselves, then prune and cut them down to size in the winter when
they are dormant.

A. They all appear like they can handle being cut back
somewhere between your knee or no more than a foot above the knee. Use your
judgement as to the exact location as it should be just above a branch or a
bud.

                     It would have been better to cut them back before they leafed out.

            Limb up
branches at the bottom that are too close to the ground (bend the branch and if
it can touch the ground then eliminate it). On spur producing fruit trees (pear
and apricot) cut the branches back to about 18 inches in length or no closer than
18 inches to the closest spur if any have been produced.