Pruning Pear Trees
Advice On Pruning Pear Trees
If you are thinking about keeping a pear tree on your property, you should learn all about pruning pear trees. Many people enjoy these types of tress because they produce delicious fruit. They also produce beautiful blooms in the springtime before they produce the fruit. They grow in a naturally rounded shape, so shaping and pruning pear trees is easy to do. These trees are great for attracting bees, butterflies and birds into your yard.
Pear trees are slow growing plants. They will seem to grow like a weed for the first 2 years but after that the growing process slows down considerably. The plant may not produce any fruit for a full 5 years. The leaves on this tree are a light green color and the blooms are white and have 6 petals that are heart shaped. After the flowers are in full bloom, the pears start to grow on these trees. They start out a burgundy to green color and when they ripen they are a lighter green.
The pear tree can grow up to 30 feet in height but if you do not want it to be so big, you can begin pruning pear trees yourself. The trees grow in an oval shape, which means that they have thicker longer branches on the bottom of the plant and smaller shorter branches on top. This is a plus when it comes to pruning because it is easy to follow the natural shape of the plant.
The first rule when it comes to pruning any plant is, to allow it to grow in first. Too often people make the mistake of pruning a tree or shrub when it is too young and the outcome isn’t a pretty one. The branches will start to grow in spindly and the foliage will be scarce. The best advice on pruning pear trees is to be patient and let the plant grow and fill in before you attempt to cut or shape the tree.
It is recommended that pruning be done right after the fruit starts to become over ripe and starts to fall from the tree. If you are unable to prune at that time, you can wait until early spring. You can start to clip shoots that protrude from the original form of the tree. Only trim these shoots down to meet the other branches and never over trim them. You can also trim back branches that are not pointing upwards. It may be a good idea to thin out the branches that are too close to each other or that are even touching or rubbing together. This isn’t good for the branches and can damage them.
You can thin down interior branches that are not exposed to the sun. This will increase the blooms and fruit and the remaining branches and foliage will receive more water and nutrients, which is very healthy for the plant. Remember to also trim off any dead or broken branches. This should be done as soon as you notice them and you do not have to wait until a specific time to do this. They can also rob nutrients and sunlight from the rest of the tree.
While pruning pear trees, you should always remember to try to go with the natural shape of the tree. Never cut off more than 30% of the branches at a time because this can harm the tree or even kill it. If you have an older tree that needs a lot of pruning, space them apart. You should wait at least a month or two between cuttings.