When you cut entire boughs off, take care to leave about one-quarter of an inch of the stump in place, essentially leaving only the branch collar behind. This is called a “thinning cut.” Unlike a heading cut, a thinning cut does not stimulate new growth but instead redirects energy into the existing branches. Instead, prune dead, diseased, or broken boughs away by cutting them back to their point of origin. If you’re starting out with a branched tree, you can skip this step.
This will encourage side shoots, which will become your scaffolding branches as the tree grows. Your heading cut on a whip should reduce the height to 30 to 45 inches, says Diane Brown of the Michigan State University Extension. If you’re starting out with a whip, or a branchless tree, you’ll want to make what’s called a “heading cut” at planting time, wherein you cut a few inches off a branch, typically removing the tip and one or two buds. Pruning of this type should be done at planting time, or during the winter following the tree’s first summer.
Since pears tend to grow straight up, the central leader shape honors the way pears like to grow while also maximizing light exposure to the lower and middle branches, which helps promote fruit production and quality.
If you prefer the first option, you’ll probably want to prune your pear into what’s known as a “single leader” or “central leader” shape. If you’re really fancy, or short on space, you can try growing them in the espalier style.
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How to Pruneīefore you begin snipping away, consider what you wish to achieve with your Pyrus tree.ĭo you want to train it into a shape ideal for bearing large yields of high-quality fruit year after year? Or would you rather it grow with a more natural look, potentially at the expense of a larger harvest? To keep your tree as healthy as possible, cut back dead or diseased branches, or limbs that are rubbing against each other, once a year. You never want to remove more than a third of a tree’s growth in a given year. You’ll only want to remove dead or broken branches at this point, as a heavy trim in summer will weaken the plant. If your pear desperately needs a trim though, late summer is an option, say the experts at the Maine Extension. You’ll still be catching the tree at the tail end of its dormant stage, but the wounds created by the pruners will heal quickly as the growing season begins, reducing the chance that insects will infest the branches through the open cuts, or that disease will take hold. Experts at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension say pruning them at this time helps to protect their winter hardiness and health.īe on the lookout for winter dieback, or cold damaged wood, and prune it away, too. You should plan to prune in late winter or early spring. The experts at the People’s Trust also say that a well-pruned tree lets more sunshine in, resulting in large, vigorous leaves and buds.ĭiane Brown, extension educator at the Michigan State University Extension, adds that sunlight is crucial in helping the leaves to make sugar, allowing the tree to grow as it should, and helping to produce high-quality fruit. This, in turn, helps keep fungal infections away. This can help dry out excess moisture, like dampness from a recent rainfall, more quickly. When there’s friction between them, the bark can rub off, creating an entry point for pests and disease.Īnd when leafy branches are growing too close together – even if they aren’t touching – sunlight can’t reach every bough individually.Īccording to experts at the People’s Trust for Endangered Species, pruning fruit trees improves airflow between limbs. But pruning also does much more, and trees of any age can benefit.īy trimming away boughs that are touching each other or growing too close together, you help eliminate the threat of injury.
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