Pear is an amazingly tasty and very healthy garden culture that is loved not only by children but also by adults. Soft and juicy fruits are grown in small summer cottages, in large gardens and even on an industrial scale - for making various mashed potatoes, preserves and marmalades. But wherever the cultivation is carried out, a mandatory measure for the care of the tree is pear pruning. An important role of this process is to increase the yield and quality of the fruit. In this article we will tell you how to prune pears correctly, given the different seasons.
general information
There are four main periods for pruning pears (and other garden trees): spring, autumn, winter, and summer. This process is carried out to achieve several goals at once:
- improving the taste and presentation of future fruits;
- regulation of the processes of tree growth and fruiting;
- improved crown lighting;
- normalization of fouling of wood;
- removal of dry, broken and diseased branches, which not only spoil the general appearance of the tree, but also threaten the development of various diseases and pests.
Proper pruning of a pear allows you to grow a tree of the right height, which will have a powerful trunk that can withstand even the largest weight of ripe fruits. Thanks to pruning, the tree begins to bear fruit in a timely manner and retains its productivity for a long time. However, this process has its own nuances, which we will talk about in today's article.
Tree care in spring
In this section, we will talk about how to prune pears in the spring. Produce it in the interval between the end of frost and the beginning of the vegetative period, the air temperature should not be lower than 5 ° C. Pruning begins with thinning the crown - this will provide the tree with better air and sunlight. Why is the trunk shortened by a length depending on the age of the tree (from a quarter of the entire trunk to 30 centimeters). All places of cuts are processed with drying oil or garden var. After trimming, nitrogen fertilizers should not be applied to the soil.
There are two main ways of trimming branches: shortening the length of the branches and a cut on the ring. Using the first method, you will accelerate the growth of the lateral branches and the awakening of the kidneys. When cut on a ring, a saw cut is made under the very base of the branch. Moreover, an incision is first made from below, only then a branch is cut down from above.
Features of the process in the summer
Summer pruning of pears is pinching (tweezing) of shoots developing on the top of the tree. Pinch young shoots with your hands, sometimes it is permissible to use a secateurs if the shoot has grown too much. The tweezers help the tree to economically use the nutrients supplied to the plant with fertilizers.
When pruning a pear in June, the development of fast-growing shoots is delayed. After this, the formation of new shoots, growing too early, and also leads to increased growth of weak branches. That is why the tweezers this month is not the best time. It is best to crop the shoots at the end of the attenuation of their growth. So you improve the ripening of shoots and the development of axillary buds.
Pear pruning in the fall
The fall pruning period does not last long - in the first half of September. Early or mid-early fruit tree varieties are pruned this season. Next, we offer to familiarize yourself with the features of pear pruning in the fall for beginner gardeners:
- Trimming is performed only at positive air temperatures.
- First you need to remove the branches growing at right angles to the tree, then the vertical shoots.
- Do not cut the tree too much - it will spend too much energy recovering from pruning and give too many vertical shoots.
- If you need to cut a branch, the thickness of which is more than three centimeters, first cut it from the bottom, and only then finish it from the top. This will protect the bark under the branch from unnecessary damage.
- Do not feed the tree after pruning - it will have enough nutrients from the roots.
Do you need pruning in winter?
Quite a controversial question, the answers to which vary. Some gardeners claim that winter pruning will only weaken the tree - because, due to low temperatures, pruned shoots will not have time to recover or even die. Others insist that this process is necessary and should be carried out from November to February. Winter pruning begins with older trees, because they have an awakening of the buds a little earlier than young trees. Prepare a sterile instrument so that the development of diseases does not begin at the cut sites.
The average temperature on the day of pear pruning should not be lower than -15 ° C. Cross, dead and diseased branches are removed using a pruner or saw. The next step is to open the middle part of the tree to remove and shorten the largest shoots. But you should not remove several large branches in one pruning, as this will weaken the tree. It is better to divide this process into three to four times. All places of cuts are immediately processed by garden var.
Extending the life of an old pear
Illiterate pruning of an old tree can only harm him. But subject to the necessary rules, you will rejuvenate the pear and be able to return fruiting. Sometimes you just need to shorten a tree that is too tall, and at normal height, only the branches will be shortened. It is better to trim the old pear at the end of winter or with the advent of spring, that is, until the moment when the leaves begin to grow and buds form.
When thinning the crowns, they begin by removing dry and diseased branches that block the access of sunlight to the tree. In addition, removing the infertile branches, you will see the remaining amount of work. The next step will be the removal of shoots that grow at an acute angle to the trunk, such branches are not able to hold a large crop weight. Healthy shoots are slightly shortened, the slices are covered with garden var. Sometimes, after such pruning, an old tree may produce fewer fruits than expected. But already next year the situation may change for the better. Pruning rejuvenation often saves a tree from felling.
Pruned young pears
One of the main prunings of a young tree is made when it is planted. Very often, when planting a seedling, the roots are damaged, so cutting the shoots will improve its nutrition. Also, the first pruning lays a tree diagram and shortens the conductor (trunk).
In the first fall, after planting a pear, pruning is not carried out - the tree is still too young and weak for such frequent shortening of shoots. On average, the pruning process of a more mature tree (older than one year) is carried out no more than twice a year. It is especially important to pay attention to the so-called tops that form after winter. Since they often grow into large branches and overly thicken the crown, they must either be removed or converted into fouling shoots.
Branch Trimming Scheme
In a seedling in the first year after planting, a quarter of the main shoot is cut off, which subsequently becomes a trunk. Such substantial pruning is done to develop a lush crown. At the same time, side shoots are pruned, but not too short - to the first kidney. Another year after planting, it is necessary to shorten the trunk by 20-30 centimeters, and the branches are cut by 7-8 centimeters. To form a regular and beautiful crown, leave the lower shoots slightly longer than the subsequent upper ones, so the tree will have a pyramid shape.
The first stage of pear pruning is the removal of dry branches with the onset of spring, the second stage is carried out a couple of weeks after the first and consists in the formation of shoots. The older the tree, the lower the rate of formation of new young shoots. Therefore, pruning of a more mature tree is carried out no more than once every three years.
Instruments
There are several basic tools that are used to cut pears. All of them are inalienable attributes of even a novice gardener and must be kept clean and sterile.
- Secateurs and delimbers. The first is used to shorten branches whose diameter is not more than two centimeters. The thicker branches are removed by the delimbers - it is much more convenient than the secateurs because of the longer handles.
- Knife. An attribute of more experienced gardeners - pruning with this tool is much more difficult. The main thing in choosing a garden knife is its sharpness and ease of use. Some knives are specially made for small trimming, which eliminates the need for pruning shears.
- Garden Saw. The difference between this tool and the usual one is its increased sharpness, which allows cutting live shoots of a thicker diameter.