Hello there. I am a novice fruit tree enthusiast. I bought this Comice Pear tree last year and did some dormant pruning on it. Mainly I just trimmed the newer growth and removed redundant or twiggy growth. What I am wondering is how best to prune it now to stimulate the development of the low scaffold branches. Initially I thought the structure would develop into a nice central leader structure, but now I am worried the low scaffolds are quite spindly compared to the main trunk and that they will not grow very well. Should I remove the center leader entirely to encourage these limbs, or does this tree look like it will develop nicely as is?
The pear tree is supposedly a dwarf, but I do not know what rootstock it is on. It was a Hollybrook Orchards plant.
Your pear has a good basic structure for a central leader with plenty of scaffolding to choose from. And your scaffolds have good branch angles. The only thing I see that needs attention this year is that one fatter scaffold branch that wants to compete with the leader. Don’t let it. Others may correct me here, but I’d think about cutting that branch back to the bend and then training the new growth that should appear.
There aren’t any buds lower on the branch to cut to, otherwise I already would have shortened it. I had that thought as well. So tell me, should I worry so much about cutting to a bud, dormant or otherwise obviously present, or should a young tree respond to a cut regardless of what is visibly present? I have another pear that was in poor health when I got it and I want to stimulate it, but again am worried about it not wanting to “back bud.”
To be even more confusing, I did think I could make a bench cut on that limb -and others- to a small spur, but the spurs are quite teeny, and again with my question regarding budding, will a fruit bud push vegetative growth if stimulated by a cut?
Hi Chase,
Some good points by others. From the pic I am thinking that the sun exposure is not obstructed by the fence. If that’s the case and you don’t really want to pick fruits at more than head height, I would encourage you to top that tree at about 7-8’ depending on how high you can reach to gather fruit. There appears to be very adequate lateral growth space on both sides, so I would personally train all the scaffolds now while they are supple to horizontal growth using an espalier pattern. I would aim for something similar to the attached pic and transplant the bush on the right side of the pear.
By attaching some horizontal canes or poles to the tree trunk your could tie each lateral to the pole as they grow out. Within a couple years you would have easy pickings!
Dennis
Kent, wa
I’d expect you to see new growth on the one scaffold if you cut it back; it’s remarkable how tiny buds will pop, especially on a young tree. And even if you lost that entire limb (you won’t) you still have lots of other good scaffolds. In fact, if you cut that limb back at the trunk you’d , most likely see new growth at the cut.
A fruit bud will push vegetative growth if stimulated, and if you don’t want fruit there yet you can pinch the blossom.
Given how young the tree is I wouldn’t want to remove very much from it. Let it grow a season or two before making any huge decisions. But like Dennis said, you can top it at a suitable height. I won’t let a tree get over 12 feet and I think that’s on the high side, but I have limited space and I want to get as much from each tree as I can, so I let 'em get too big!
Thank you all for the advice. I think I will try to shorten the dominant scaffold lower as well as train it out a bit. I’m not sure I want to develop the tree into an espalier, as I like the look of a more natural, well groomed tree.
