How to prune a pear tree in its first year

How to prune a pear tree in its first year

Pear trees can be pruned from November to February of the following year, with December to January being the best time to prune pear trees.

1. In the first year, light pruning, bud carving, application of branching agent, girdling, and opening the angle of the pear tree can promote branching, increase the amount of branches and leaves, and quickly grow the crown. Since most pear trees have strong germination ability but weak branching ability, the growth is slowed down by pulling, topping, dropping, holding branches, and using various angle openers to open the branch angles, which easily forms more short branches.

2. In addition, the short branches of pear stop growing early, the leaf curtain is formed early, and after the angle is opened, ventilation and light transmission are good, and the top buds of the short branches are very easy to become flower buds, thus achieving early high yields. The branches of pear are prone to form "skin-clipped corners", which are brittle and easy to split. It will be more difficult to open the angle after the branches reach a certain thickness. Therefore, the opening angle should be done in time.

3. When pruning young pear trees, you must consider choosing suitable branches to leave as trunk branches. This is very important for later growth. The principle of pruning other branches is to cut less and leave more. In the first year, generally six to eight buds are retained on the growing branches.

Tips for Pear Tree Pruning in the First Year

The branches need to be pruned back, and the trunk should be pruned back as much as possible at the full buds. The general height of the trunk is about 80 cm. It is also necessary to trim away dense branches, diseased branches, old branches, overgrown branches or crossed branches to reduce nutrient consumption.

When pruning from November to February of the following year, the stronger branches and leaves should be cut off, and the diseased and weak branches also need to be pruned away.

Pear tree pruning tips for the first year

After pruning, the pear tree needs to be maintained in a cool, ventilated and warm environment. Never sprinkle water on the leaves, otherwise it will cause the leaves of the plant to rot, and in severe cases it will cause the plant to wither and die. Just keep the soil slightly moist.