Pruning new pear trees

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jmillrood Jacksonville, FL(Zone 9a) Mar 30, 2015

Hi there. This is my first post on the site..looking forward to many more. Over the last year I've gone a little crazy with the fruit trees (at least that what my wife says). Planted, 2 apple, 3 pear, an, orange, lemon, grapefruit and a loquat..my goal is to have a mini orchard at my house..

Here's the issue, one of my pear trees, I believe it's the Leconte, is way too tall. You can clearly see in this picture it has a significant lean to it. The tree was probably about a year old when I bought it, and it has two leaders coming off of the main trunk.

Question is, can I take the tops off of those two tall branches, and if so how much should I take off. Can I do it now, or should I wait until summer. The tree is really healthy, so I don't want to do anything to damage it. Thanks.

Thumbnail by jmillrood
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Diana_K Contra Costa County, CA(Zone 9b) Mar 31, 2015

Most commercial fruit trees are pruned quite a lot for uniform growth, size, spacing of branches and location of fruiting spurs.

Do a little research about the specific variety, both for the common pruning practices, and most important the timing for your area.
While most fruits are pruned while they are dormant, there are some diseases that can be spread that way, and certain trees are pruned in the growing season to avoid spreading those diseases.
I know Apricots around here are summer-pruned.
I know Pears get fire blight which can be spread by pruning tools.

If this is the right time, then you could prune them by as much as half. Make sure the new growth from this pruning will be away from the center of the plant. Look for an outside bud.
I would also get a stronger stake, and see about training them to grow more up, not lean, and to spread out. Pears tend to grow very strongly up, and not out very well.

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jmillrood Jacksonville, FL(Zone 9a) Apr 02, 2015

Thanks so much for the advice and you are right about the stake..I definitely need something a bit more sturdy. This variety is supposed to be more resistant to fire blight, but I don't want to take any chances..

I'll check with one of the local nurseries to see what they say.

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Diana_K Contra Costa County, CA(Zone 9b) Apr 02, 2015

Try the university of florida, or the department of agriculture, too.

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jmillrood Jacksonville, FL(Zone 9a) Apr 03, 2015

Thanks so much for the advice and you are right about the stake..I definitely need something a bit more sturdy. This variety is supposed to be more resistant to fire blight, but I don't want to take any chances..

I'll check with one of the local nurseries to see what they say.

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