Pear trees should be pruned in each dormancy season to maintain plant development in balance and obtain an excellent yield. As a rule, pruning promotes more vigorous growth, but excessive pruning can make the tree weak against disease and pests. Thin and shape the pear tree as needed, without damaging it.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: During the First Three Years
Step 1. Choose a leading central branch and cross branches
Once the shoots of the tree grow to about 10 to 13 cm, choose a branch that serves as the main branch, as well as three to six crosses or side branches. Remove the rest of the branches.
- The central branch should protrude from the trunk towards the center of the tree. That is, it should come up directly from the base of the tree and should not branch off from another branch.
- The side branches should be spaced at similar intervals around the trunk and should be spaced vertically from each other by about 15cm.
- When you cut off the other branches, cut them completely off the base of the trunk. The cut should only be made along the outer edge of the collar - where the branch joins the tree. If you cut only a part, the branch will grow again and create problems for the tree structure.
Step 2. Reduce the central leader branch in the second year
During the second dormancy season, trim the central branch to about one third of its length to stimulate more vigorous growth.
The cut should be close to a shoot that grows at an angle greater than 45 degrees. Alternatively, you could also make the cut near a side branch you intend to keep
Step 3. Eliminate oversized branches in the second year
You can have more than six side branches during the second year, but branches that are too thick or large can compete with the central leader and need to be removed.
- Remove the branch at the base where it joins the trunk of the tree.
- Oversized branches include any branch with a diameter that exceeds half the diameter of the central leader up to one third.
Step 4. Remove other unwanted branches
In the second year, you should also remove any damaged branches and any healthy ones that branch off the trunk almost vertically.
An almost vertical branch means any branch that branches off at an angle of less than 45 degrees. Ideally, however, the branches should branch out at an angle of between 60 and 75 degrees
Step 5. Practice pruning for the first three years
The pruning to be done must be kept to a minimum during the first three years so that the tree can produce the wood necessary to bear fruit.
- Follow the same pruning tips for the third year as for the second year. Reduce the central head from half to one third of its height, remove oversized branches, remove damaged ones and cut vertical ones.
- After the first three years, you can prune the pear tree to produce a crop.
Part 2 of 3: Heavy Winter Pruning
Step 1. Prune during dormancy season
You should do most of the heavy pruning during the dormant season when the tree is not in a state of active growth.
If you live in a frost-prone area, pruning later in the dormant season may be better than pruning early on. Do most of your pruning during late winter or early spring, before the first leaves and buds form
Step 2. Remove any branches that threaten the tree's health
This includes weak, diseased, dead, or otherwise damaged branches. It also includes branches that grow improperly.
- Cut away the branches that cross or rub against each other. Fruit production on these branches will be low and the bark could be damaged, facilitating diseases and the action of various parasites. Between the two, choose the one that appears weaker, less productive, or compromised.
- Remove broken spikes and branches, as diseases and insects tend to attack these areas.
- Remove branches that grow downwards. These do not bear much fruit and can cause problems with rubbing and shading.
- Cut whorls or branches that come from the same point on the trunk or large branches. The joints here are weak and can break easily. Select the strongest branch and remove the rest.
- Cut off any branches that grow at an angle of less than 45 degrees from the trunk of the tree.
Step 3. Light the tree
Use a sharp pruning saw to remove oversized branches that have grown at a very rapid pace. Pear trees have a low yield when they don't get enough light, and oversized branches generally cause problems by creating too much shade.
- As always, cut the branch at the base, where it joins the trunk of the tree.
- Typically, you can spot an oversized branch by comparing it to your original central leader. An oversized branch will usually have a diameter greater than three-quarters of that of the central leader.
- It is advisable to eliminate two or three internal branches in a year. If you need to take out more, spread the work out over two or three winters.
Step 4. Reduce any height and excessive spread
If a branch has grown too long, shorten it by cutting to the length of a vigorous lower branch.
The lower branch you choose must be directly under the branch to be shortened, and it should be at least one third of the diameter of the branch that needs to be shortened
Step 5. Shorten the overall growth from the previous year
Pruning healthy branches will encourage more vigorous growth.
- Shorten the previous year's growth on each main branch by cutting off about a third of that. Make sure the bud whose branch you shortened is facing an appropriate direction.
- Young side branches growing out of the main tree should be cut down to five or six shoots.
Step 6. Focus on the branches
Pear trees bear fruit on short branches that grow between the main branches. Thin out these branches after a few years to favor a more abundant yield.
- Completely remove old branches every two to three years so they can be replaced by new ones.
- If too many small branches grow from these branches in a single year, reduce them to one or two so they don't have to compete for resources.
Part 3 of 3: Light Summer Pruning
Step 1. Remove the water suckers and those at the base
These are vigorous shoots that appear at the base of the tree or at the cutting point of a previous pruning. They absorb nutrients from the tree and should be removed when you see them.
Cut the sucker at its base. If the sucker branches off from the wood of the tree, cut it where it joins the healthy wood. If the sucker stems from the ground at the base of the trunk, cut it off at ground level
Step 2. Cut the diseased wood
You should cut any wood damaged by pear fire blight or similar disease as soon as you notice it to prevent infection from spreading to healthy branches.
- Fire blight is very common in pear trees. The leaves and twigs of a pear tree are affected by fire blight when an infected insect nestles in the new shoots and new growth of spring. To save the rest of the tree after an infection, it is necessary to prune the affected shoots at least 7, 5 - 10 cm below the damaged area.
- When pruning diseased wood, be sure to sterilize the pruning shears in a chlorine solution before using them for new cuts.
Step 3. Thin out the fruit
While not strictly necessary, you can prevent too much fruit from going to waste by thinning out the shoots after the fruit has sprouted.
- Leave at least 13 cm of space between the fruits.
- The process reduces the overall yield, but ultimately increases the health and quality of the remaining fruit.
Advice
- Always use sharp pruning tools so that the cuts you make will be as sharp as possible.
- Get rid of any buds and branches you remove. Deadwood can invite insects and promote disease, so you should keep this waste material away from your tree to keep it healthy.
Warnings
- Try to imagine the results of the pruning before making each cut. Once you cut a branch, you can't put it back, so make sure you are certain that the branch needs to be removed.
- Remove as little as possible. Excessive pruning can shock the tree and promote various diseases, such as fire blight.
