Pear tree

[erob914]

I need some advice on pruning and maintaining a pear tree. I moved into my home July of 99. The tree was topped by the previous owner. The result of this is that the branches grew long and relativly thin. That year the tree produce a lot of pears. The weight broke a few of the branches so I decided that I needed to do somthing before the rest of the branches broke also.
That winter I cut the broken branches ( about 2 inches thick) back to the trunck. There were no other branches to cut back to. I also cut the all of the long branches back to a bud. For this tree that was pretty aggressive because it has a lot of long thin branches.
The next season (2000) we had a lot of rain (Atlanta,Ga) in the spring. Late spring through fall the tree had leaf spot. It also produced a lot of watersprouts which from what I understand is normal due to the pruning the previous year.
This winter I thinned the number of branches by cutting crossing, rubbing, and crowded branches. Its now looking like a more manageable tree.
My questions are:
Am I doing the right thing given the trees problem?
Is it true that pear production is plentiful one year and light the next?
What else can I do to help keep this tree healthy?
What should I look for a far as problems or complications as a result of the pruning?

The tree is about 6 to 8 inches in diameter at the base and is now at a modified height of about 12 to 15 feet. The tree has also produced two branches right below the offending toppng cut that could take the place of the central leader. It would look a little lopsided if I cut one off.
Any help would be appreatiated. Eric.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Sounds like you are doing fine.
Fruit trees in genral have up and down years with fruit production, but are influenced by pruning. If there are a million branches growing all over the place fruit will tend to be abundant but small. Properly trimmed and relatively thinned trees tend to have fewer but larger fruit.
I like to trim a pear to have nicely spaced limbs of larger diameter, and try to keep them from getting too high, it's those tall spindly limbs that fail with a fruit load.

If you want, go ahead and post a picture, so we can do some internet pruning.

 

[erob914]

hmmm...

About the picture. I am a novice at this computer stuff. The last computer I really had any knowledge of is a Commdore 64. Basic just doesnt cut it anymore. It didnt really cut it then either,but thats another story.
I just got a printer/scanner last weekend so I guess i have an excuse to play wih it now. I will try to get a picture posted this weekend.

 

[Jay Banks]

Pruning for fruit product does nothing to promote the longevity of the tree. It is planted with a disposal date in mind say 15 years of production. Each year they are pruned to aid in fruit removal.

What pruning you have described is far less then in the production pruning in the orchard.

Keep at it and let's see a photo.

 

[erob914]

I am not worried about the pears as far as production. I just bag up the pears and give them to a friend of mine. He puts them in his back yard to feed the local deer. They love them. The first year I lived here I got 14 Kroger bags full of pears. That doesnt include the ones the lawn mower got.
It wouldnt bother me if the tree did not produce many pears. I like the tree because it is a mature tree and it is on my property.
Is there a difference between pruning and caring for a tree for fruit production or longevity?

 

[coydog]

it sounds like your doing great, i would just keep doing what your doing, nurtur those branches growing beneath the topped section, if they do take the place of the leader that would be great, just make sure you make clean cuts and don't cut into the bark collar, you probably already knew that...
As far as long term pruning advice, just try not to take too much at once.

 

[erob914]

picture

Here is a picture of the pea tree I have been working on. I still need to get to the watersprouts at the top. I need a pole pruner to get to them. thank you for any suggestions.

 

[erob914]

another angle

Make that a pear tree.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

I attached a photo with some lines.
I would try to get the tree down to fit into these lines. Those tall thin limbs will just bend down to the grond once loaded with fruit.

You will need to loook at each limb and decide where to cut. Stub cuts will cause future probems but you will need to make a few, then correct the problems down the road.

In the corner I put a branch with a red line where i would trim this branch. Notice it will shorten the limb but leave it looking natural. Try to find places on each limb that you can trim like this, where there is a nice lateral branch.

There are also red lines trying to show spots on the tree to trim. I tried to show cutting off some laterals(like those horizontal limbs near the top) then going out a foot or two and making a cut on the leader, instead of making 5 stub cuts, you only have one.

Another example on the left, there is a Y shaped branch, cut off one side of the Y, then go out a bit and make a stub cut, instead of two big stub cuts, you remove a lateral and have one smaller stub cut.

 

[erob914]

thanks

Thanks for the advice on the pruning Mike. Just about all of the branches are stub cut. They were all so long they were touching the ground before the pears were full grown. I am assuming the topping caused the long thin branches. Last winter I hit it pretty hard shortening all the branched. We also had a very wet spring which caused a leaf spot problem. It persisted all season to leaf drop so I left it alone all year until now. The pile of limb in the background is all I have done this year so far.
Will I have any problems with the leaf spot returning from last year or will any future leaf spot be a new occurance? Do I wait until leaf out to do the cuts or do it now. I believe the agressive pruning I did last winter is what caused the watersprouts. Am I correct in this assumption? I have had a borer problem on a crabapple last spring that I hope I have taken care of. I sprayed all 16 trees on my property 3 or 4 times with chloropyfiros at one month intervals. I have a 1 acre lot so i guess they could move tree to tree pretty easily. Is there something else more systemic I could use that would leave the fruit edible. I also have 4 plum trees and 2 peach trees I need to keep an eye on. I recenty found out the chloropyfiros is liquid durspan. I have a 7 year old and one in the oven so I would like to tone down on the chemicals in the yard. How effective are praying mantisis on the insect populations? I plan to get a couple egg sacks this year that will hopefully cut down my aphid population. They are hitting my hybrid teas pretty hard.


Thanks again for the help.

 

[azaleafreak]

Very Impressive and Polite

The time you took to download the picture, edit it and send it back was very kind. It is nice to run up on a website where the folks around here share knowledge and give out free information.

You have my respect.

azaleafreak

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Thank you for the kind words, Azaleafreak.


Erob,
I can't comment too much on the chemicals "yall" use down south, your climate is different, as are the bugs.
The durspan you mentioned is some nasty stuff to feed your kids(indirectly) and I think it's on EPA's chopping block anyway. Borers on fruit trees is not something I've encountered up here, and I know they are hard to kill.
The spots are what we call scab, a fungi, I think. Control needs to start early and be applied 2 or 3 times. If you had a problem last year you will likely have it again.
Heavy pruning causes suckering. Proper prunning cut cause less.