It would be fantastic if somebody could post some pics of the process/end result of taping watersprouts to more horizontal positions. I think I understand what is being discussed, but pics are always helpful.
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I marked these with ribbon to show where they are. I came back later and taped them down so they won’t move or in case the ribbon broke.
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I use several items depending on the needs for the limb. Electrical tape, string, and wire.
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Thanks for the pic, much appreciated
Never ending learning process for sure, great pics.
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Yes, I use string a lot also, but not wire- might forget to release it and it can’t do anything string can’t.
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True or false: bending limbs horizontal generates watersprouts but bending to 45 degrees tends not to create watersprouts.
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Mostly true in my opinion.
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Thanks. I manage a friend’s trees and she’s got super-fertile soil. Rank growth, out of control at 45 degrees, Hauer Pippin on G 30 roots. No watersprouts but enormous length. May have to ring the branches.
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I just re-read some older posts on pruning and saw @Hillbillyhort comment that: “Having a central leader helps to control other growth. ( waterspouts).”
This makes sense to me: the top of the leader serves as a safety valve to use up excess energy that otherwise (in a vase) would go into the scaffolds.
So maybe horizontal limbs in a vase tree have more watersprouts than in a central or modified central leader tree. A lightbulb moment, I think.
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@BobC
I agree completely with this thread as ive said for a long time now (10+ years) the more you prune and control pears the more you will prune and try to control pears. This thread i brought up my methods again Pear trees that produce bushels of fruit and avoid disease. @39thparallel and I were talking about this about 5 years ago because all the books discuss these radical pruning strategies but the pear trees have a very different idea. Ive grown some of the same pears i planted for over 25 years now like the one pictured in the thread i linked to and believe me i know what im talking about but its not in the books. Our goal is hopefully to produce fruit not scions and if thats our goal you cant argue with my results which support your post 100%. Thats not to say we know it all, people like @fruitnut , @alan, @Lucky_P, @scottfsmith and others have taught me so much through the years. Many others methods differ from mine slightly but are equally or more effective such as @tonyOmahaz5 . He is a very good pear grower with unique good ideas. With all that said our approaches sometimes differ due to environmental differences. @rayrose has a tough climate to grow pears in but he still does it because he knows what works for him. What works for me is different from others if i pruned a tree like the one in the picture was pruned that tree will most likely die of fireblight that year due to all the new growth. New growth is fireblights best friend which unfortunately new pear growers find out as they get frustrated and give up in many cases. This last year and many years before i take time to make notes about the harvest Here comes the 2019 pear harvest!. My research has taken a direction of experimental unfortunately since there are no pear orchards here already. I teach other farmers and friends or really anyone who will listen what works for me so hopefully the next generation will have it easier. My strategy is to never charge growers for anything that costs me nothing. Many times i pay shipping and dont charge for that. We are all in this life together so i hope the people ive helped pay it forward to someone someday in some way. The knowledge i have on pear growing is for the living and i want to share it and my unique fruits because once im dead i will have no need of pears to eat or knowledge of how to grow them. Those left behind will have empty bellies unless they learn before they get frustrated. Great post on over pruning!
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I pruned this tree this year, did I prune to much or should it be ok? The one beside it got about the same amount of pruning…
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Yes thats not bad. Keep in mind the less narrow the crotch angles are on pears the more fruit they can hold and more resistance to storms they have. Pears grow naturally with narrow crotch angles which drives us crazy. Get rid of any crossing branches, those to close together or tbose growing inside the branches towards the trunk. When i intially prune a pear i do so like i do an apple or anything else when its young Tipping to make a bushy more productive fruit tree
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Been trying to read everything I can in pruning and hopefully some of the information soaks in… All the different threads luckily have links to other great threads. I am on my phone right now or else I would have lots more tabs open and be watching some of the videos I have seen linked to 
Still lots for me to learn about all of this… 
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Another important tip is when you prune look which direction your tip bud is facing. If the bud is inside it grows in or outside it grows out. Many people do not know that simple trick and it causes huge problems the pruners could fix in seconds.
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When I get home today I may go back over my Pears and check for inside facing buds and get them now…
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I can see plenty of the ones on the horizontal branches that point up in my pic… Are those OK? I remember leaving those because I wasn’t sure about them when I was pruning.
Yes the majority of those upright “sticks” you see are going to be fruiting spurs.
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I came home and looked at the tree and decided to remove a few but overall there weren’t many that needed to be removed.
Waking this old thread for obvious reasons regarding pears. Heavy pruning Williams big problems on pears so don’t do it unless your a scion wood grower.
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