Pruning pear trees

[Triple C]

Pruned 4 of my Kieffers Saturda. Got a dozen to go. This tree was planted in 2011. If I had a do over I would have planted native persimmon over any fruit tree for deer. Persimmons require zero maintenance and produce fruit every year during hunting season. My pears get wiped out with late frosts most years. When they do produce the deer flock to them but most fruit is gone by early October. Persimmons drop for longer period of time well into Nov.

Before


After pruning

 

[1eyefishing]

And I believe percentages persimmons propogate and spread much more on their own…

 

[Triple C]

And I believe percentages persimmons propogate and spread much more on their own…

For sure! Native persimmons are bomb-proof.

 

[Jim Boyd]

Triple C

We planted 52 pears in 2020 - bare root trees about 6-7’ tall.

Some are about 10’ or so now.

Ten each of 5 varieties of pears.

At what point would I have to consider pruning?

thank you sir!

 

[Triple C]

Jim - You gotta lot of pruning ahead of you brother! My guess is you will prolly want to start pruning this time next year. They should be over any root shock from planting and you should see em growing like weeds this spring. You will prolly see at least 4 to 5 ft of growth out of em if not more this spring. Just start identifying competing, upright growing branches and any shoots off of the limbs that grow straight up. Keep those limbs growing outward. Pears want to naturally grow vertical. Some guys tie rocks to the branches when they're young and weight them toward the ground a bit so they don't grow straight up.

Lots of great pruning vids on YouTube for pears. Honestly, you'll just figure it out as you go. Not sure how to explain it but you'll naturally get better at it with each pruning. If you're not careful, they will suddenly get ahead of you so be prepared to begin pruning in '22. Lastly, clip back all the shoots that will naturally jump up from the base of the trunk.

 

[Buster]

what about japanese persimmons

 

[Triple C]

what about japanese persimmons

No experience with those. Maybe someone else will weigh in that's planted em. In full disclosure, I'm no expert at all on pruning. Just kind of learned it over the past 10 yrs since planting the pear trees and watching a whole lot of YouTube vids.

 

[Buster]

the reason that I asked about the japanese persimmon was that I saw what I believe is one near a house in Twiggs county
It had fruit on it well into December --it looked to be persimmons nearly as big as a baseball and the ones that I have had were very sweet

 

[glynr329]

I have planted a few Japanese persimmon. They are expensive and so far have finally got one to produce. My go to tree this year is Callaway crabapple. Bought 9 and got 6 more coming. Tuff trees and produce like crazy. Deer would run across field to get to tree first. Last to end of season. My pear trees had to do some serious pruning due to over producing and breaking limbs.

 

[fireman32]

I have planted a few Japanese persimmon. They are expensive and so far have finally got one to produce. My go to tree this year is Callaway crabapple. Bought 9 and got 6 more coming. Tuff trees and produce like crazy. Deer would run across field to get to tree first. Last to end of season. My pear trees had to do some serious pruning due to over producing and breaking limbs.

Where did you buy your callaways from?

 

[glynr329]

Had one of the guys that sells the fruit trees at flea market to bring some. I told him to pick me up 6 more for this weekend.

 

[NCHillbilly]

what about japanese persimmons

They are big, like the size of maters. And deer don't seem to be too interested at all in the ones we've planted, even though they devour the native ones and native selections.

 

[bhouston]

I pruned about 30 of 75 trees on my Johnson County tract. I think pruning in first year (especially if you planted container trees that were already 2 years old) is super important to stimulate growth and get the scaffold branching set. Also training so you get 45 degree (+/-) angles on your branches is just as important. Its an art not a science - so you have to watch some videos and then just jump into it.

 

[Triple C]

I pruned about 30 of 75 trees on my Johnson County tract. I think pruning in first year (especially if you planted container trees that were already 2 years old) is super important to stimulate growth and get the scaffold branching set. Also training so you get 45 degree (+/-) angles on your branches is just as important. Its an art not a science - so you have to watch some videos and then just jump into it.

Agree that it is as much art as it is science. And to your point, all of ours were at least 2 years old and a few prolly older when planted. Those tend to have very vertical growing limbs as ours did. Over the years, and watching many vids on pear pruning, I feel like I've got a good handle on it. I just kind of stare at the tree and determine which branches, shoots and limbs need removing. Do my best to keep the center open to air and remove any crossing and vertical branches that develop.

 

[Triple C]

They are big, like the size of maters. And deer don't seem to be too interested at all in the ones we've planted, even though they devour the native ones and native selections.

Said it many times...Give me native persimmons above all others. Totally bomb proof, easy to top graft the males, hardly any maintenance and producer every year.

Do have an interest in learning more about the Callaway crabs. Seems guy find those very easy to grow and apparently are prolific producers.

 

[Triple C]

Here’s why u don’t want to skip a year of pruning which I’m guilty of doing last yr. These pics were taken on June 8th. Trees were loaded for the first time in 4 or more years as I got luck n missed a late frost. Limbs were not accustomed to bearing weight of fruit


July 15th trees look like they were hit by a tornado.






I still have a mess on my hands to get the other trees pruned and dead broken limbs removed. And, prolly due to stress from so much fruit and tree damage, but I hardly had any fruit by archery opener. Most had shed their fruit.

 

[fishfryer]

Here’s why u don’t want to skip a year of pruning which I’m guilty of doing last yr. These pics were taken on June 8th. Trees were loaded for the first time in 4 or more years as I got luck n missed a late frost. Limbs were not accustomed to bearing weight of fruit
View attachment 1063885View attachment 1063886View attachment 1063887

July 15th trees look like they were hit by a tornado.
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I still have a mess on my hands to get the other trees pruned and dead broken limbs removed. And, prolly due to stress from so much fruit and tree damage, but I hardly had any fruit by archery opener. Most had shed their fruit.

You can prune too much,I did one year. I cut up from the bottom so I could mow underneath and cut the sides back in length. Pears came on in spring and aborted. No freeze,dried up and fell off. Just my two cents.

 

[SakoL61R]

I got a bunch of pear tree pruning on the agenda in the next couple weeks....
TC, fully agree with you on pears v. native persimmons.

 

[fireman32]

To my understanding you should remove no more than 1/3 of the tree while pruning. My pear trees are still small, hoping I can get and keep them shaped right.

 

[fishfryer]

To my understanding you should remove no more than 1/3 of the tree while pruning. My pear trees are still small, hoping I can get and keep them shaped right.

I knew that at the time,but thought I could get away with doing all I wanted at one time. Well,it don't work that way. At least not for me.