Pruning Pear Trees

We have recently moved into a new home. There is a pear tree in the back yard which appears to be reasonably mature. The problem is pruning. There are a lot of shoots coming out at the top of the tree. I am wondering when and how to get rid of these?

Thanks you in advance for advice you can offer.

Dirk Smit

Farmer Dave's reply:

Pruning is an art and a science.
It is hard to tell you how to do it in a few words but I will give you a few pruning basics and if you want more info you can go to my pruning page
http://www.family-gardens.com/fruit-tree-pruning-instructions.html

Sounds like your trees fit in the older unpruned or neglected trees catagory.

Unpruned trees are hard to work in and tend to produce crops of small, worthless fruit. The fruit is often damaged by pests and diseases, and much of the crop is out of reach at the top of the tree. Pruning is therefore carried out to achieve a balance between shoot growth, ladder sets and fruit production.

It can be quite the job to rejuvenate and bring an old fruit tree back into good production and easy picking. But it is worth it. You will have to do some radical pruning especially if the only recent pruning was done by bears. Don't try to do it all in one year, it will be to much for the tree and probably you too.

First

Remove broken or diseased branches and crossing limbs
Any branches growing inward to the tree's center and any growing vertically or straight down.

Thin out enough new growth to allow light to filter into the canopy when the tree has leafed out so the fruit can ripen properly.

Shorten any branches that are too long to avoid over extended growth.

Shape tree evenly and remember apples flower and fruit on old wood, so head back new growth to direct energy back into the flowers and fruit. Remember to thin your fruit and you can also thin the fruit spurs if they are to thick.

You may have to do some major cuts to get back to 3 to 5 lower scaffold branches with good crotch angles and spaced around the tree. Limbs with poor angles, and excess scaffold limbs, should be removed at their base. You may also want to cut the top of major branches if the tree has out grown ladder heights.
If you are at the top of your ladder and you can't reach the fruit I suggest cutting the tree back to a manageable height. I often use a small chain saw for these major cuts. It is essential that you make all large cuts clean and good. To make clean cuts, cut the branch once a foot from the base to relieve all the weight which will avoid tearing of the bark, then do a careful cut flush with the trunk so that it will heal.
You may want to make your first cut with a chain saw and your second cut with a hand saw. You can put tar or other kinds of sealants on the cuts but I find that a good clean cut flush with the trunk heals better on its own. Make sure the cut is not flat and has an angle so that no water will collect on it as that is where rot will start. You may need to remove as much as 75% of a really old overgrown tree. This should be done over a three year period.

Renewal pruning is a useful technique for older or neglected trees. It takes advantage of the tendency of apples and pears to produce flower buds on unpruned two year old wood. Leave strong lateral branches on the outer parts of the tree unpruned during the first year.
During the second growing season, these laterals will send out new vegetative growth from the tip. The rest of the buds from below that point will become flower buds. The following winter, cut back these lateral branch to the topmost flower bud. The lateral will then flower and fruit that year. After fruiting, retain this lateral as an elongated spur, or cut it back to one inch from the base to stimulate the formation of a new lateral branch to repeat the cycle.

Types of pruning cuts


Thinning Cuts are used to remove an entire shoot or branch back to a lateral or scaffolding branch.


Heading Cuts are used to remove only the terminal portion of a shoot. This type of cut promotes the growth of lower buds as well as several terminal buds below the cut.


Large cuts also known as bench cuts are used to remove vigorous, upright shoots back to side branches that are outward growing. Bench cuts are used to open up the center of the tree. They may also be used to take out excessive scaffolding branches left by improper pruning of young trees.

Careful pruning cuts will help the tree to heal quickly. Pruning cuts should be flush with the adjacent branch without leaving stubs. Also, when large horizontal cuts are made, they should be slightly angled so that water does not set on the cut surface as this will cause rotting and disease.

Good luck and if you have more questions on pruning post some pictures that would help me with specific advise.
Farmer Dave