Help me with the proper pruning of a neglected baby pear tree.
July 13, 2010 2:53 AM   Subscribe

I planted a young pear tree about 2 years ago, and neglected to prune it over-winter when you're supposed to. It now looks a bit like a backwards "r" (photographic evidence). Should I prune it now? Or should I wait till winter? And how should I go about pruning it? It seems to have one long central (very bent) trunk and not many side branches at the moment.
posted by handee to Home & Garden (2 answers total)
 
Best answer: Summer pruning should be done end of July (in the UK). It is to shape the tree. Cut back this year's vertical growth to a sideways branch. You are looking to limit vertical growth. Vertical branches get too heavy and snap. Cut that long berranch by about 2/3rds. There are plenty of websites that can help you.
posted by priorpark17 at 3:24 AM on July 13, 2010 [1 favorite]


I think you planted it too close to those other bushes. Can you prune those back a lot? Because it looks like that one branch started to grow way out because the tree was trying to get some sun. If you can't trim those bushes behind it, or move the pear tree, you could just prune it back on that one branch and it will probably stay a small, compact tree for the rest of it's life. That would be OK.
posted by cda at 10:43 AM on July 13, 2010


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