pear pruning in spring

Why you need to cut a pear in the spring

There are several types of pruning:

• sanitary – it is done just in the spring, when all the dried branches and shoots damaged by frost are cut out;
• forming – it is needed for young plants in order to properly form the crown;
• anti-aging – required for old trees that give little yield and often get sick.

In the spring, you can carry out any pruning.

When to prune a pear tree in spring

The best option is March. But at the beginning of spring it is still cold, so it is important to monitor the weather – the air temperature should be above -5 °C.

You can trim the pear in early April, but it is important to have time before the start of sap flow. At this time, the pear cannot be cut, otherwise its wounds will not be able to heal, and the tree may die.

And then it is possible in early May, immediately after active sap flow, but at this time it is a pity to cut trees – already leaves, buds. However, sorry – does not mean prohibited. If the tree is heavily neglected, it requires rejuvenation, it is better to leave sentimentality and cut off all unnecessary.

By the way, pear pruning should be carried out annually, only in this case the tree will be healthy and productive. In addition, young shoots are much easier to remove than perennial, thick ones. Here you need to remember the main thing – the thicker the branch, the more difficult it is for the saw cut to heal. And the greater the chance that an infection will penetrate the wound. So do not pull, cut the pear every spring.

How to prune a pear tree in spring

All pruning can be divided into 3 stages.

Remove dried shoots. Saw off all dried branches, broken, frostbitten, rodent-eaten shoots (1). Small branches can be sent to compost, large ones are better to burn – pathogens and pest larvae usually hibernate on them.

Lower crown height. This applies to old trees, which often have never been pruned – these usually reach a height of 5 – 6 m. Where do you need a whopper? Moreover, tall trees have a lot of disadvantages:

• it is inconvenient to harvest – try to get pears from a height of 6 m;
• excess harvest – often a lot of fruits ripen on huge trees, but they are small, sick and not tasty, where there are so many of them – a task;
• it is inconvenient to treat plants from pests and diseases – again, you won’t climb to such a height even with a stepladder, therefore, it will not work to treat the crown at high altitude with drugs, and as a result, all insects and pathogens will constantly go down and hit the tree again and again;
• a tall tree obscures a large area – you will not have an additional place where you can set up beds, plant flowers or even other fruit trees.

The maximum height of the pear trunk should be no higher than 4 m – in this case, you can get to the top with a ladder, harvest and treat the tree from diseases and pests. But it is better to saw off the central one even lower – at a height of 3 or even 2 m. Believe me, you will collect plenty of pears from such a tree, and it will be much easier to take care of it. And there is less shadow from it, which means that additional area will be freed.

Cut out any thickening branches. All that grow inside the crown (1). In dense thickets, an unfavorable microclimate is created – the tree is not blown through, air stagnation and high humidity form inside, and these are ideal conditions for the development of fungal infections. In addition, in a dense crown it is easier for pests to hide. And the pear is very prone to the formation of tops (2).

In addition, remove the shoots that grow to the trunk at an acute angle – over time, such a branch will break off, a dangerous wound with enthusiasm of the bark will form. The optimal angle of departure of the shoot from the trunk and other large branches is more than 45 °. The general rule is this: first you need to saw off large branches, and then small ones (3).

Ultimately, a properly formed pear, when viewed from above, should have the shape of a sun – with rays extending evenly from the trunk in different directions. And if you look at it from the side, it should resemble the shape of a bowl – it is empty inside, and all the branches are located along the diameter of the circle.

After the tree is cut, it is important to cover up all the cuts. Large cuts – oil paint on natural drying oil. Small, up to 2 cm in diameter – with ordinary children’s plasticine. Practice has shown that cuts heal much better with it than with professional garden pitches.

Rules for caring for a pear after pruning

After pruning, especially if it was cardinal, the pear will need enhanced care.

Watering. For a pear season, you need 3 irrigations:

• before bud break;
• 15 – 20 days after flowering;
• 15 to 20 days after harvest.

Water consumption rate per 1 tree:

• 3 – 5 years – 5 – 8 buckets;
• 6 – 10 years – 12 – 15 buckets;
• over 10 years old – 20 buckets.

Feeding. During the season, the pear needs 4 top dressings:

• at the end of April: 1,5 cups of ammonium nitrate or urea – evenly scatter in the near-stem circle along the entire diameter of the crown and rake into the soil (or water it well if grass grows under the trees);
• at the beginning of flowering: 5 cups of superphosphate, 3 cups of potassium sulfate and 3,5 cups of urea per 200 liters of water, consumption rate – 4 – 5 buckets per adult tree;
• at the beginning of fruit ripening: 5 glasses of nitrophoska per 200 liters of water, the norm is 3 buckets per tree;
• after harvesting: 1,5 cups of superphosphate, 1 cup of potassium sulfate, scatter under the tree and water.

What to do if the pear does not grow

This question often arises about young trees. It happens that a seedling is planted, it sits for a year, two, three, it adds only a little bit in growth. At the same time, the owner actively cares for him – waters and feeds.

As a rule, the main reason for the reluctance of a seedling to grow is that it … was “borrowed”. A well-known fruit grower, head of the Department of Fruit and Vegetable Growing at the Saratov Agrarian University, Professor Konstantin Kondratiev, in this case, gave one piece of advice: plant a tree – forget about it. Leave him alone!

That’s when the tree begins to give good growth, obviously starts to grow, then you can start caring for it.

Popular questions and answers

Answered our questions about pear pruning agronomist-breeder Svetlana Mihailova.

Sources of

1. Kamshilov A. and a group of authors. Gardener’s Handbook // M .: State Publishing House of Agricultural Literature, 1955 – 606 p.
2. Kudryavets R.P. Pruning garden plants. Self-instruction manual in diagrams and drawings // M .: Eksmo, 2021 – 192 p.
3. Levoshin V.K. Homestead garden // Saratov, Saratov book publishing house, 1959 – 350 p.