How to trim a pear in the spring

Pear trimming is an important element in plant care.

This process should be carried out carefully so as not to harm the tree, therefore it is necessary to take into account all the nuances of spring pruning pears.

Why do you need spring pruning

Doubts about whether to cut a pear, often overcome beginner gardeners. But this procedure is necessary to ensure the plant a healthy existence and active growth of shoots. Thanks to pruning pears you can increase the yield of the tree, as well as the quality of the fruit.

Also, pruning pears in the spring according to the correct scheme will help the plant in forming a strong trunk and branches, so that they can withstand the load in the form of a large crop.It will be able to provide the plant with a normal distribution of nutrients, the necessary space for treatment from pests and convenient harvesting.

Optimum time for spring pruning

Pear trimming should be carried out at a time when the air temperature does not fall below -8 ° C, from March to May. At this time, the tree is still at rest and the juices are not distributed along the trunk, so the pear will bring the procedure without any undesirable consequences.

If we neglect the advice on the timing of the procedure and cut it off very early, when a strong drop in air temperature is possible, the plant can be harmed or even provoked its death.

Set of garden tools for work

In order to properly carry out the procedure for pruning wood, it is necessary to prepare special garden tools. For young plants that have thin, fragile branches, you will need a pruner and garden shears.

In order to cope with older trees, you can not do without a saw and delimber.It is important not only to choose the right tools, but also to keep them clean. Store garden supplies in a clean and dry place. Also make sure that they are well sharpened and do not harm the plant during the manipulations.

Differences in pruning old and young trees

Depending on the age of the pear, pruning has its own characteristics that must be taken into account when carrying out the procedure in order to ensure the normal development and fruiting of the plant.

Crop young

Consider how to prune a young pear in the spring. Manipulations for pruning are made the next year after planting, when the sapling is fully acclimatized and mature. From the first pruning depends on the further formation of the crown of the tree.

If you do the whole procedure correctly, then in the following years it will be easier to care for the pear, as a properly formed crown will only require cutting of last year’s shoots and the formation of skeletal branches of the crown.

Spring procedures contribute to increased branching, and half-skeletal branches are formed, which affect the formation of fruit branches, for this the shoots are shortened by 1/4 of the length.

Also pay attention to spinning tops, which are often formed on young trees. Tops, thickening the crown, very quickly can grow into full-fledged large branches, so you can’t hesitate to prune them. The grower should turn them into overgrowing and semi-skeletal branches.

Pruning fruit

Let us consider a detailed description of how to prune a fruiting pear in the spring in order for beginning gardeners to carry out this procedure correctly and protect them from unnecessary, rash steps.

The first tier of the crown must be formed before the pear enters the fruiting period. Around the fifth year, the tree should be prepared for the formation of the second tier of the crown. By the age of 6 years pear, crown thickens, the area of ​​fruiting is shifted to the periphery.

To prevent this process, it is necessary to make the crown lightening.It is necessary to leave the branches-conductors, which depart from the trunk at an angle of up to 90 °, and cut the competitors at the base of the growth of the branches. On the selected conductor it is necessary to select the skeletal branches, which are grouped in height and cut off, forming two or even three tiers of crowns.

The height between the first and second tier should be at least 60 cm, and the height between the second and third tier not less than 30 cm. Next, you need to start shortening and thinning of individual branches in accordance with the height of each tier.

Consider how to cut a pear, if the branches grow up and away from the trunk almost parallel. In this case, the formative pruning of the conductors is first carried out, if these branches are healthy, do not thicken the tree crown and do not intertwine, then you do not need to completely remove them, you can simply shorten them according to the tier to which they belong.

It is also necessary to remove all branches that grow inside the crown, thicken it, or intertwine with each other.It is also important to take care of shortening the growth of skeletal branches, cut them by ¼ of the entire length.

Trimming old

Pruning of old trees is carried out in order to rejuvenate the plant, in order to stimulate fruiting and give the tree shape for convenient harvesting of fruits. It is very important at this stage to manipulate correctly, because old trees may not survive a poorly performed procedure.

In the case of pear rejuvenation, there are two situations on which your further actions will depend:

• If the tree is not subjected to regular removal of branches and has grown large enough, but poorly fruiting, then the procedure should be started with shortening the crown of the tree.
• If a pear was subjected to regular removal of branches, then the anti-aging procedure should be started with thinning the crown of the pear.

The pruning process itself consists of the following steps:

1. Remove broken, dry, frozen, non-bearing branches to free the center of the crown for normal sunlight access.
2. After that, the competing shoots are removed, shoots that grow at an acute angle or parallel to the trunk.
3. Then it is necessary to shorten the remaining shoots by 1/4 length.

Post-trimming activities

After removing a part of the branches on the tree, it is very important to immediately cut up the cuts with garden pitch so that the healing process takes place quickly and without harm to the plant.

But there are also cases when damages appear on the tree, it is necessary to take measures for their healing. It is necessary to carry out procedures in spring time. If the damage on the pear is small, then they are sealed with garden pitch.

If the affected area is large, then the following measures should be taken:

1. Cut off the damaged area to a healthy bark.
2. Disinfect the damaged area with iron sulfate based on 1 bucket of water 300 g of the product.
3. Anoint the plot with garden pitch and wrap with burlap that will prevent the drying of the bark of the pear.

It is necessary to carry out spring pruning of a pear to maintain good fruiting and the health of the tree. This procedure does not require much time and effort if you follow the recommendations and tips that are given in the article.