Pear pruning: when and how to do it right, crown formation scheme for beginners

Some gardeners are perplexed: why waste time trimming a pear? The tree regularly bears fruit, and it is a pity to remove the extra branches. If suddenly enough is enough, then the tree will completely cease to bear fruit and weaken. But regular pruning is a must. Without it, a cultivated plant will not be able to produce a good harvest. It is this operation that stimulates the growth of fruitlets and passes the sun's rays through the crown. But these actions should be carried out correctly.

Cutting methods and types

In order to always have a good harvest, it is recommended to carry out sanitary and shaping pear pruning.Sanitary is done to remove damaged or dried branches. These parts of the plant are useless and even dangerous for him: pests parasitize them and mushrooms grow. This operation can be carried out at any time of the year.

But the pear needs crown formation. The tree has a high growth energy. And the gardener should make life easier for himself: limit the size of the tree, thin out its crown for ease of care and fruit picking. Summer residents are interested in: is it always necessary to cut the lower branches of a tree? This operation is carried out to remove old branches or to facilitate maintenance: it should be convenient to move under the tree during weeding or top dressing.

How do pears react to circumcision?

The tree will respond to a properly pruned tree with an increase in fruit twigs and fruit size. If you shorten the crown, then the plant will redirect energy to the formation of side shoots, that is, it will begin to grow in width. It is convenient to take care of such a plant.

Removing crown thickening shoots will evenly illuminate ripening fruit. Their palatability will improve (the sugar content will increase).

Illiterate pruning will cause the plant to weaken. The tree will tend to regenerate a too sparse crown and stop producing fruit buds.

The exception is anti-aging pruning. During its implementation, the pear is severely cut, introduced into a state of stress. An adult plant responds to it with abundant fruiting. But sometimes this event causes the death of the tree.

Required tools

In order to quickly and efficiently trim, you should prepare the tools. Needed:

• pruner for thin twigs (up to 0.7 mm in diameter);
• hacksaw to remove large shoots;
• lopper for working in hard-to-reach places;
• disinfectant solution (potassium permanganate, boric acid, alcohol) for processing instruments;
• garden pitch or oil paint (for processing cuts with a diameter of more than 0.7 mm);
• sharp knife (for trimming cuts to avoid stumps);
• ladder (for working with tall trees);
• work gloves.

It is important to remember: during pruning, infection penetrates through the wounds, so the tools should be decontaminated.

When is the best time to trim the shoots and branches of a tree?

Clear timing of pruning has not been established. Sanitization is carried out at any time. After a strong wind, be sure to remove damaged shoots. For formative pruning, you need to choose the time when the sap flow has stopped. It's late autumn, winter, early spring.

Spring and summer work

In early spring, it is recommended to cut the tops that take away the strength of the pear. Before the start of sap flow, you can form a crown. If the branches grow upwards, then a little processing is carried out in the summer. During ripening and fruiting, you can remove the branches that shade the pears.

In July, it is recommended to pinch (shorten by 1/3 part) of young shoots. This event will force the pear to redirect its forces to the formation of additional fruit buds, instead of leaf ones.

Autumn pear pruning

In autumn, the fruits are already harvested, the leaves have fallen, and the sap flow has stopped. It is recommended to carry out crown formation combined with sanitary pruning (if necessary). It is important to remember: the work is done in dry weather, because when it rains, infection can get into the wounds

Winter work

Some gardeners prefer to pinch pear crowns in winter. This is due to the availability of free time and the absence of bacterial infections.

But it should be understood that removing frozen wood is dangerous for the tree. And garden pitch is applied to the cut heated, and the temperature contrast is undesirable. Winter work with the pear crown is carried out at an air temperature of at least -5 degrees Celsius. And there should be no precipitation at this time.

Pruning a young pear

The purpose of the operation is to create a skeleton with which the gardener will subsequently have to work. For beginner summer residents, it is important to carry it out correctly, since it will be quite difficult to correct mistakes.

For the first year

When planting, a pear seedling should be “processed” with a pruner. The top needs to be cut 1/4. This will stimulate the growth of side shoots.

The first pruning involves the removal of branches adjacent to the top "on the ring". The lower branches should be left at a height of 50-60 cm from the soil level, the rest should be cut. Between multidirectional branches, it is required to maintain a distance of 10-15 cm.

In the process of growth, the pear forms the correct skeleton, which is convenient to work with.

For the second year

In the second year, the formation of a longline crown begins. The formation of the 1st tier of the crown of a two-year-old pear continues according to the same principles:

• shoots adjacent to the top are cut out;
• top cut to 1/3;
• lateral processes of skeletal branches are shortened;
• all shoots growing inside the crown are removed;
• crossing branches are cut.

A two-year-old pear is thus prepared for the formation of fruit buds. When planting a tree in shady places or limited space in the garden, you can form a palmette: a flat crown. Then the distance between plantings of pear trees can be reduced by 2 times. And the plants will be well lit.

Pruning a three-year-old pear

Immediately after planting, in the first 3 years, crown layering is formed. But only in the 3rd year you can lay the 2nd tier. It is formed at a distance of 50-60 cm from the skeletal branches of the 1st tier. The principles of creation are the same as those of the 1st tier.

Pruning a 4 year old pear

During this period, the gardener finishes forming the 3rd tier of the crown. The skeletal branches of the third tier are 50-60 cm apart from the branches of the second tier. The shoots adjacent to the top are cut out. Shoots crossing and thickening the crown are removed or shortened.

Rejuvenating old pear pruning

Old pears no longer produce a bountiful harvest. But the gardener is not ready to part with them. You can return fruiting if you rejuvenate the tree. Cutting pattern:

• shorten top;
• remove old, diseased branches;
• thin out the crown;
• delete competitor shoots;
• shorten branch shoots.

This is a rather harsh remedy. But in some cases, the pear begins to bear fruit abundantly.

How to properly form the crown of a columnar pear?

This pear needs regular pruning to keep its special shape. The correct operation is to prevent an excessive number of fruit buds: in the first year, all flowering shoots are removed, in the second, 2-3 are left.

The branches of the columnar tree are shortened to prevent them from growing in breadth. Those that grow at an obtuse angle to the trunk are cut out. The purpose of the event: maintaining the shape of the crown. Particular attention is paid to the central conductor. The upper bud is inspected regularly for damage by pests or diseases. When a lesion is established, the shoot is cut out and a new conductor is formed from the replacement shoots.

Features of pear pruning in different regions, including Siberia

Cutting rules for regions are slightly different. Before carrying out the operation, the winter hardiness of the pear should be taken into account. If the tree is prone to freezing, then autumn or winter formative pruning should not be carried out. In Siberia, the climate is cold, with strong winds. And the heat period is short. In a pear, not all shoots ripen, which means that they will certainly freeze out in winter. This will weaken the plant. Immature (light green) shoots must be cut or shortened to mature wood.

In a region with cold, as in Siberia, winters, it is not recommended to do autumn and winter crown formation operations, so as not to reduce the winter hardiness of the pear. But sanitary pruning can be done at any time of the year. You should also refrain from rejuvenating pruning. Its principle is to stress the old tree in order to make it bear fruit. But with a long cold winter, the pear is unlikely to survive the unfavorable period.

In regions with a warm climate, pruning is done at any time convenient for the gardener (taking into account the timing of sap flow and fruiting).

Common mistakes

Illiterate pruning of a pear can not only delay fruiting for an indefinite time, but also destroy the tree. The most common gardening mistakes:

• leave the top uncut (the tree grows tall, it is difficult to care for it, including pruning);
• violate the rules for cutting the shoots “on the ring” (a knot forms, then a hollow, the pear needs treatment);
• the operation is performed in the rain (infection penetrates the wounds, diseases develop);
• work with a dirty tool (gardeners themselves infect their favorite trees);
• violate the principles of formation of tiers (this leads to a thickening of the crown and a decrease in yield);
• leave large cuts untreated (tree can't heal quickly, remains open to infection);
• apply too thick a layer of garden pitch (under this film, the wood begins to warm).

Any of these violations leads to weakening or disease of the tree. This affects the harvest.

Recommended