Pruned Pear Trees

[Steven P]

My neighbour had her pear trees pruned about 2 years ago (might have been 3 years). Last year there was lots of new growth - no blossom or fruit  (but I guess thats usual if it was pruned the year before). The trees had been neglected for a few years.

 

So on Monday one of the trees was pruned again back to where it was 2 years ago - I thought this was odd - and hence my question - how often should you prune a lt of branches from a fruit tree and is ir normal to do it again so soon after the astone?

[Stere]

Sounds wrong to prune so severe twice,

 

Over prunning  equals mass of water shoots very common

 

[nepia]

Taking a pear back 2 years will simply delay a happy final shape by 2 years but as Stere says the result of hard pruning them (apples too of course) is a mass of water growth - thin upright vigorous shoots. 

That's not the end of the world, they just need management.

 

Look up 'apple pruning' on Youtube'; there's loads of stuff there.

 

In short your neighbour needs to either learn how to manage the tree now or find someone who does know how to do it..

[Peasgood]

The blossom is on 2-3 year+ wood. Keep cutting it off and you will not get blossom.

The aim is to keep renewing and replacing the wood  so you always have 1,2 and 3 year old wood. It can be more than 3 year wood but it doesn't crop until then.

 

I'm an apple grower rather than pear so I am assuming they are the same (ish). My advice is usually that if you want to cut a branch off just cut all of it off, messing about trimming bits off as they grow is wrong.

Edited May 16, 2018 by Peasgood

[Steven P]

Thanks, the trees are no picture 3.

 

Not the end of the world then but perhaps not the best

[Will Ingleton]

Major restorative pruning and reduction of pears, and apples alike, should certainly be carried out gradually over the space of several years in a controlled manner.

Edited May 20, 2018 by Will Ingleton