How to prune a pear: basic rules and stages of pruning
When spring comes, a new summer season begins. Gardeners and gardeners have a lot of troubles, including pruning trees. If you remove excess branches, the plant will develop better and bear fruit evenly. Pruning allows better sunlight penetration and increases yield. But how to prune a pear correctly so as not to harm it?
Content:
Why and when are trees pruned?
Tree pruning plays an important role; it is one of the main procedures that helps to increase the yield and extend the fruiting period. This event is also considered important for pears, so it is not recommended to start the tree. Do not forget that pear trees love light; this must be taken into account when pruning.
When the tree is still young and its age does not exceed 1 year, then this procedure does not need to be performed. This is due to the fact that the development of the pear is not rapid. But you should prepare in advance for further pruning, take into account the advice of professionals in order to do everything correctly and not damage the plant. If you do not adhere to the rules, you may not benefit the tree, but, on the contrary, harm it.
As already mentioned, pruning is not done in the first year, since the tree is still too young. For the first time they prune branches in the second year of development. pears. Experienced gardeners advise carrying out this procedure in the spring, when severe frosts have already disappeared, but the movement of sap has not yet begun and buds have not appeared.
Often late March or early April is ideal for this. Pruning is repeated every year. This procedure can also be done in the autumn. But many gardeners are of the opinion that it is easier for a tree to survive cutting off its branches in the spring. If you carry out this event in the fall, the pear will be more sensitive to frost. Therefore, it is better to do the procedure in early spring.
Trimming Features
When pruning a pear tree in the spring, you should adhere to certain rules so as not to harm the tree. Namely:
- If it is necessary to remove small branches, use pruning shears that have a sharp blade. If the branches are too large, then you need to use a hacksaw. When removing diseased branches, it is worth disinfecting the instruments. For this purpose, a liquid containing alcohol is used.
- Not worth it trim tree if the air temperature drops below -5 degrees.
- The places where the cut was made are lubricated with drying oil, varnish, paint or special preparations.
There are 2 ways to trim a pear. This is shortening the branches and cutting them on the ring. If you use the first method, then the growth of side shoots will accelerate, and the buds that are located below the cut will begin to develop. If the second technique is used, the branch is cut in a ring at the base.
It is worth making sure that the bark is not damaged. Therefore, initially the cut is made from below, and then they begin to make a gash at the top.
In a pear, the growth of branches can be both vertical and horizontal.Therefore, it is necessary to monitor horizontal shoots, and the rest should be eliminated. Branches that grow downwards do not bring any benefit. Therefore, they are removed first. If pear pruning is carried out in the spring, then it is forbidden to feed it with nitrogen. fertilizers.
How to prune a tree correctly?
When the pear has been growing for a year, it is worth doing minor pruning. It is made at a height of half a meter above the ground. This will help new branches appear on which buds will appear. Full pruning is carried out for seedlings that have reached two years of age. To do this, you need to remove a quarter of the branches. There should be 4-5 branches on the main trunk, which should be located at a 45-degree angle to the main trunk. Branches that compete and interfere with the tree’s development must be removed.
For this, a circuit under the ring is used. Experienced gardeners advise eliminating excess parts, but ensuring that the tops of the skeletal branches are even. When a young tree is pruned, it is important to position new trees correctly. shoots, on which ovaries will appear in the near future. They must be bent so that they are placed horizontally to the main shoot. To do this, they are connected with twigs.
Don't forget about pruning mature pear trees. She also needs this procedure. If the tree is already 8-10 years old, it is worth removing excess branches in the spring, before buds and leaves appear. To begin with, excess parts of the tree are removed so that all branches receive sufficient air and sunlight. After this, shoots that have recently appeared are shortened. This will allow them to form and grow faster.
Trimming steps
Experienced gardeners do not advise trimming a tree in one day. This will affect their rapid growth, so in a short period they will grow higher than the crown itself. It is recommended to remove excess branches in stages. Namely:
- To begin with, formative pruning is carried out, which allows you to create the correct crown.
- After this, sanitary circumcision is performed. This is carried out before the growing season. At this stage, diseased and dry branches are removed.
Finally, maintenance pruning is carried out. This is a major procedure that involves removing large shoots so that they are not burdened with future harvests. Some gardeners prune in the autumn. It can begin in August and be completed until December.
This procedure is carried out in order to give the tree a pyramidal shape. This will increase fruiting, and the branches will not be damaged by the weight of the pears. Damaged shoots are also pruned in the fall. All removed branches must be burned. So, to get a good harvest, you need to care for the pear and do the right pruning. To do this, it is enough to follow simple rules.
Video about pear pruning:
