Pear Tree Pruning?

[lakngolf]

Would you prune these pear trees? If show, how?
Planted Jan 2013, about to enter their fifth year in the ground.

 

[Chummer]

I would just cut everything below 5'. I believe pruning pears is a loosing effort and not really beneficial. I could be wrong as I read about them when I planted mine. That was 5 years ago and they are still the same height.

 

[THE LLC]

Never been able to prune pears and anything change. If you cut off crossing branches, etc, they'll just replace them with four more. I don't even bother.

 

[Turkey Creek]

My 2 cents I would cut those outside branches on tree 2 to about 1/2 their length, they could use some diameter to carry fruit. Also the tree with the double central leader I would likely reduce to one. I really like the looks of tree #1. What variety is tree #1?

 

[lakngolf]

I would just cut everything below 5'. I believe pruning pears is a loosing effort and not really beneficial. I could be wrong as I read about them when I planted mine. That was 5 years ago and they are still the same height.

Never been able to prune pears and anything change. If you cut off crossing branches, etc, they'll just replace them with four more. I don't even bother.

I like what I am hearing! As I ride thru the countryside I notice that most pear trees are the ugliest, malformed, twisted trees around. And they are all LOADED!. So I think I will trim lower limbs and let the tops take off. I did have a few pears this year on couple of trees. You can actually still see one small pear in tree #1. They were small but something cleaned them all off the ground.

I guess I will leave the wire cage around them for a couple more years. I don't want them to become major rub trees.

 

[lakngolf]

My 2 cents I would cut those outside branches on tree 2 to about 1/2 their length, they could use some diameter to carry fruit. Also the tree with the double central leader I would likely reduce to one. I really like the looks of tree #1. What variety is tree #1?

The trees are supposed to be the same, but I started from seed so there is that consistency problem. I got the seed from a guy in Georgia, Lone Cedar Farm from the old qdma forum. Have not found him on here yet. The tree was an old one in his relative's yard, and produced those ole timey bell shaped delicious pears. I am hoping for some like that. I am trying to find a picture that he sent me back in 2012 but internet connections have been bad today with our impending weather system. I will try later.

 

[dogdoc]

I have also given up on pruning and training my wildlife pear trees. Those suckers are just hard to train. Prune and branch and 4 more pop up to take it's place. I keep everything cut down below 5 feet and try to remove some of the upward branches to allow air flow and light. I think mine have about 10 central leaders each. As soon as I remove them just more take it's place. Several years ago Native Hunter said he does't do anything to his pears so I have taken his advise. I do prune my apples every late winter though.

todd

 

[catscratch]

My first and last attempt to train pear. Grew the right direction until it got past my tiedown, then turn straight up again. Figure if they are going to act like that I'm not messing with them.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[OHIOShedder]

I think I am done pruning pears also. Seems like they spend all their energy the following year replacing the branches that I cut off over the winter. Maybe if I don't prune, they will put some of that growth into existing branches.

 

[Nebraskaz71]

The one I planted last year was top cut from lowes. Has several leaders but sounds like it may not be worth the effort to try and prune it up.

 

[Turkey Creek]

The one I planted last year was top cut from lowes. Has several leaders but sounds like it may not be worth the effort to try and prune it up.

You cant change the growth habit of a pear. Pears want to reach for the sky, but you can open them up for better air flow and stronger structure.