Pear Tree Pruning

Bill works with two extremes of fruit tree pruning. One pear that was never pruned and a second that pruned and bent sideways.
www.greengarden...

[@michaeldougfir9807]

Good presentation. I hope the viewers picked up on the numerous good details you spoke of. I have been an arborist since the 1980s. I have pruned in many states, coast to coast. I hope good pruning is a blessing to you. When I travel I take a few pruning tools. Some people like to be taught good pruning. So I try to be ready to help and teach. One thing I do like to emphasize is that most of us tree men are NOT gardeners, and conversely most gardeners are not good tree pruners. So get a tree man if you want a tree worked on. If you want yard care, well California is busting at the seams with gardeners of many kinds. The thing I emphasize most is good (Shigo) cuts. Proper cuts. Then the tree can seal the wound and move on.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

I am not just a gardener. My history is farming, nursery, landscape design, horticultural consulting and finally gardening in that order. Where as I am not an arborist but I have pruned thousands of trees in my life. Just finished a couple apple up in North Hawaii, that was an odd trip! I did write the pruning classes for several of the nurseries I ran in the past. I figure I know how to do it. Thanks for the feed back.

[@michaeldougfir9807]

I did not call you "just a gardener." But for many (most) guys, that is exactly what I would mean. I seem to recall being supportive and appreciative of your video, and saying so. Also your resume is duly noted and appreciated. You and some of us are multiskilled. I also work in forestry, timber management. What I want from the average guy watching this is pruning as you demonstrated, with good Shigo pruning methods for each of the cuts to be made. It's for the good of the tree. Most people can do that, with some attention to detail. And the blessing will be theirs for a job well done, and a happy tree.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

I didn't take offense. I am well aware of my worth and skills. From my opinion a gardener should also know tree trimming. Trees are a major part of gardening. The fact that most gardeners do not know how to work with trees just indicates they are not really gardeners, they are yard clean up people.

[@Cosmikite]

I have been watching lots of pruning videos. Thanks for your contribution. I would like to make one suggestion, which I think everyone who makes a pruning video should do: show more of the tree. Walk around the tree to see it at all angles and when someone video tapes the cut you are doing I would like to see more of the context of that cut, where it is and how it is in relation to other parts. You do a great job of explaining your cuts and that is helpful. I still want to see it though. Thanks for making videos!!

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Thanks for the feed back. I'll see if it is possible to walk around the tree. It is often difficult because urban fruit trees are often crowded or up against fences and so on so approach is awkward. Once you decide if the tree is using an open center or a modified central leader one part of the tree looks a lot like another. The other thing about trees is they are organic and living so no two look the same. I attempt to impart the basic information so people understand the process. If I come across a fruit tree that has multiple possible angles for video I will use it.

[@seaurchinx]

Thanks for sharing. I have 3 big pear trees to do today. I prune yearly but they look like the 2nd one shown. I hate being harsh on the trees I love. Yet I know the day has come for some tough love. My tools are sharp & ready to go. Thank You again, I now have accepted what must be done.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Budding is done during sap run. Grafting on pears and apples is done in the dormant season. Scions that I have inserted to stock on temperate fruit late in the season seem to push away from the pressure of the sap flow rather than make a union. In Fremont the perfect time is Feb. In most of the northern USA March to very early April is good. Where ever you are finishing your work about 3 weeks before bud break is good. Subtropicals are an exception and are grafted in the spring though.

[@tepeassydac]

Thanks Bill. I have a worst case scenario in the making, so seeing what you do helps keep me on the track to shape my three or four year-old Bartlet into a productive and easy to pick tree.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Glad I could help. Vertical form and crowding are typical with unpruned pears. Depending on where you live watch for fire blight disease.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Vincent, the pears are worth the trouble only if you love eating the varieties you have in the orchard. You are correct in noting that they like to grow vertical. If left to their own they will produce a tight column full of wood like an Italian Poplar. Pruning is the easiest way to train the trees. Use the shear to remove vertical shoots and prune towards horizontal growth. In time as you get the trees flattened and spread the work will be easier. Good luck and enjoy the fruit.

[@DucPham-ok5ko]

When is it a good time to notch fruit trees ?

[@kaufmal90]

This is the best pruning video I have seen during the moment some of us call life - thank you!

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Thank you for the comment. The moment is all we have.

[@naka7002]

Love your videos..... I wish more ppl would spend more time gardening, the world would be a happier place, I really believe that!

[@chandnikumarov4459]

Well said.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

I agree. Google lost this comment for 7 years.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Google lost this comment for 7 years.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Google lost this comment for 7 years.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad the video helped out. More coming.

[@AntonioBemfica]

Very useful - I wasn't sure how to go about dealing with the two pear trees in my yard. They were here 4 years ago when I moved in and I could tell pruning was needed. This gave me enough insight to do it myself today. Let's see how it turns out!

[@smokeyallanritter3211]

Thank you very much I have a pear tree that has been very neglected and needs exactly this kind of pruning

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Good luck with the project. Thanks for dropping in.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

I am in California and it is high spring here. I would have to call my brother in IL to find out what the weather is like there right now. My guess is that your trees are still dormant so it is a good time to prune. If the trees are filled with flowers, leaves and fruit you will want to wait awhile before pruning because you will damage the crop by dragging branches through the tree. In IL Feb. to March is your best pruning season but you can summer prune new growth too.

[@Rinsuki]

I'm a newbie at pruning fruit trees, but I enjoy watching different pruning videos. I must say pears are just crazy looking and hard for me to picture because of their vertical habits. Lol. I just think they are more challenging than others to prune, but with this video I've gained some confidence with them.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

The tree will impart a certain amount of control over the pruner but the person is the one that decides what stays and what goes. Thanks for watching.

[@0oJoe]

Thank you for your video. Recently moved into a home with a apple and a pear tree. Both have grown like crazy in darn near every possible direction. Been reading and seen some illustrated pictures of how to prune. Those pictures don't help out much. See you go hands on showing what you did help me understand a whole lot better then the countless articles I've read. It is October and the pear tree is bearing tons of fruit not quite ready to harvest, I've lightened some clusters. But figure I'd wait to prune. The apple tree was bearing fruit and I was able to harvest it a few months ago. Unbelievably it's fruiting again already. Guess I'll wait to prune that tree until I've gotten the apples picked. Thanks again.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

A second fruiting of an apple tree is usually due to unusual weather. I have never seen the second crop make it to harvest before the season closes. I would pay it no mind and just prune when you can. I have about 6 videos on you tube that talk about apples. type greengardenguy apples into the youtube search box and you will find some more information. Apples and pears are pruned about the same and have similar issues. The main difference is the pears tendency to grow vertical. Most apples tend to grow round. Otherwise you can treat the two the same. Try to do your fruit thinning in May and June during the June drop. Thinning this late in the season reduces the yield. Early thinning will reduce the fruit numbers too but will increase the size of the remaining fruit.

[@alhassanlb]

I have two pear trees, they are 6 years old, and very tall like the one you pruned, I am going to modify their central leaders as you did, thanks, you'd been so helpful.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Pears tend to grow very tall. A modified central leader system will make it easier for the grower to pick fruit. Thanks for the comment.

[@kyliescookingandcrafts8737]

Thank you for showing an overgrown pear tree!! That’s what I have and I have no idea what to do with it. It’s a bosque pear tree and it’s like 20 feet tall!

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Oh boy, sounds like fun! Bill

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

The tall pear I pruned was a young pear less than 4 years old that had never been pruned by anyone. If it had been pruned annually as recomended I would have removed less wood. Renovation is a term used for trees usually older than 20 years that have been neglected for a long time. In a case like that we don't try and correct the neglect in a single season. We usually try to work them back into shape over several years.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

I trimmed a lot off because the owner of the tree had allowed it to grow too tall. The amount removed depends on your needs but I like to prune so I don't need to use ladders for picking. Prune for horizontal limbs and way from vertical shoots. The pears don't come on most of the wood I pruned off, they come on the fruiting spurs. So yes, the tree will fruit next year. It's easiest to prune in the winter like I did because you can see the wood. You can also summer prune to keep it short.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Yes, pears can be pruned during the summer if needed. What would concern me more than the need to prune is the reason that no flowers or fruit appeared. That is an unusual occurrence and must have a cause.

[@cindybonem494]

My neighbors have two Bartlett Pair trees that are probably over 60 years old and still fruiting, I’m 61 and they were there before I was in kindergarten, I remember we could eat all of the fruit that fell on the ground, as we waited for the school bus. Delicious!

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Technically a pear tree can live that long. In most of California they seldom get more than a couple decades of life because the fireblight disease infects them. It would take a very careful gardener to get one to 60 years in Fremont, CA.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

You can only generalize about harvest time for pears. Weather plays a key factor. The dates will move around from one year to the next. With pears I wait for color on most varieties. When the proper color is achieved then I test for sugar. If the sugar is sufficient for good eating I begin to harvest. Sugar is the key. Some pears never soften on the tree, only in storage. If they are sweet enough for you then pick them. If they are too hard, store until they soften.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

The problem of fruit trees breaking dormancy early is difficult to solve because it is caused by weather. Precautions are the best defense. Painting the trunk white or wrapping it with a bit of burlap will stop the sap from running too early and prevent sunscald. Using a heavy mulch of wood chips will keep the ground cool and prevent early sprouting. You live in a very mild climate and I don't think you are in much danger. At the worst you may lose the leaves but they will return.

[@leonardoalfonso7080]

For some reason your education pruning videos are some of the most relaxing to watch. Would be cool to see you prune something in Hawaii. Maybe you can show us the "pruning" that's in store for your invasive passion fruit before it kills off the orange tree haha.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Most of the tropical plants don't respond to pruning the same way temperate plants do. I often prune my current orchard with a chainsaw, cutting 30 foot trees to 4" stumps and regrowing them. I will see if I can accommodate a pruning video in the future.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Thank you so much. I am so glad I could help out across the oceans. Pears across the ocean, Pears across the sea!

[@manton3699]

I was looking for so long a good video to learn how to prune my fruit trees. This one is the best. Thank you!

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

It's been around for a few years but it's still good. Thanks.

[@rmcunningham3874]

The Pear Dude abides. Thanks for the great video!

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Glad to hear. You're welcome.

[@SeattleGuy1968]

I'm glad that cutting a lot off of a pear tree does not hurt it because today I had to remove 2/3 of the branches off a large OLD pear tree to make room for an electrical cable. The bark is covered with a growth anyhow, and I'm not sure how bad that is.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

+John Galt As long as the work was done with care so that all cuts drain and the trees was pruned rather than just cut back I would think it should be just fine. Chances are the fruiting will be effected for a few years after a drastic cut like that. The regrowth will be the main issue for a while. I would do some summer pruning for the next couple years to guide the tree back to a good shape. As far as the growth is concerned it really depends on a growth of what? If the growth is lichen or moss then all it reflects is the nature of your local climate. If the growth is fungus then it could spell a problem. Identify the material.

[@SeattleGuy1968]

Thanks, GreenGardenGuy1! Upon removing the cut limbs, we noticed that the tree is rotting and so old it really needs to all come down probably anyway! So the outcome is good as far as reducing liability from branch break and fall. The tree was super old, however very compromised.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

+John Galt Since the issue with heart rot is structural rather than productive the old tree could still be induced to fruit some as long as the pruning is intended to relieve weight on the compromised core. If the tree is a special variety worth saving then I would get some root stock going and graft the wood from healthy branches onto the new roots. Most fruit trees have short productive life spans so this type of work is typical in old orchards. The easiest way to fix the trouble is buy a new bare root pear tree this winter, plant it at a distance from the old tree, graft wood to the new tree and cut the old one down. It probably harbors every pest known to pears by now anyway. Good luck, enjoy the pears on a bit of cottage cheese next fall. Bill

[@SeattleGuy1968]

Thanks again, GreenGardenGuy1! You really know your pear trees!

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

+John Galt Apples followed by citrus are probably my number one and two trees but there is love for pears somewhere down the list. If you have never eaten the Seckel Pear, plant one and check it out. It is a small pear, about 1/2 size but it makes up for it by having a full size dose of sugar. My favorite pear of all. Thanks for the feed back and happy gardening.

[@thegirlwhoruns1]

Thanks! Just bought our first two pear trees and this was very helpful. Really enjoyed your video.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Thank you. I hope you have long enjoyment from your trees. Pears are a wonderful thing. Bill

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

The question of how many trees in a space depends on application, tree size & pruning. Most pear are sold on semi-dwarf roots, these grow to about 14' in dia. If you don't prune much or organize the branches you can fit 3 in your space. If I train the trees heavily I could fit up to 10 trees in the space. If you plant more than two trees it will look like an orchard instead of a yard. Curb appeal is a problem with fruit. People often pick your trees. Pears are otherwise attractive plants.

[@TaxTheChurches.]

I’m in zone 6b/7. Today I pruned, skipping budding branches unless the grew between other branches or were dead. I think we have that fire disease. It’s had green lichen growing on the dead areas. I had to cut off the lower branches because the deer will eat every one of them. They are almost 8 feet high when they stand in their back legs. I hope this saves energy for the top pears. Deer will still get a nice snack if they walk like people.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

The lichen growth has nothing to do with disease. It is a harmless growth. Pears are susceptible to fire blight but pruning them for the disease is a special project. You must remove 12"of healthy growth below the last sign of the disease or it will stay in the tree and continue to spread. I would consider a fence around the tree to exclude the deer since it is the lower branches we usually leave and the upper ones that we prune.

[@Snufflufugas]

Also, I picked a few off today. They twisted off pretty easily. They have the consistency of an apple, and taste pretty yummy.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

The practice of putting asphalt sealer on tree wounds is a controversy. Some people always use it, some people never use it. My opinion is that you might use it some times with caution and follow through. Generally the tree doesn't need tar on it. If it did the tree would produce the stuff it's self. It doesn't help heal wounds. It can be used to water proof a very large cut to prevent rot before it heals. If so remove it annually and replace it. Water can get underneath and cause rot.

[@Furley293]

Great video. Teaching by example. It's amazing to know the potential Fremont backyards have for orchard fruit.

[@petermcfadden9426]

Thanks from North Wales, UK. Lots of useful information.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Amazing how information travels around the neighborhood these days!

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Have a lovely spring in Ottawa Antonio. Currently I'm at the house in Puna Hawaii and if it wasn't for the calendar I wouldn't have any idea what time of year it is! Happy harvests.

[@staceycastleberry1746]

Thanks Bill! Very helpful. You would be great to have as a neighbor! I'm off to prune my 2 pear trees right now!!

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Ah shucks! Glad to help. I make a better neighbor if you just want to sit on the porch drinking beer. When i did tree trimming i was pretty expensive.

[@vincentobrien788]

Thank you for showing how to prune an overgrown tree!!!!

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

You're welcome. Lots of over grown trees out there.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

@demk818 I will see if I can capture the process next time I have one to prune. Pomegranate are bushes rather than trees. The major issue they have is growing too thick so we often approach the job by removing limbs at the base. If the bush is really old it may have grown tall so we do some size reduction. Too much pruning on this plant reduces the fruit yield.

[@zendamorrison3226]

Love your videos. You give me courage to attack those trees/shrubs that I have no idea how to approach. Thank you!

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Getting past the angst is the first step. Once you do this for a few years you will be making your own pruning videos! Thanks, Bill

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

For those of us who live in fire blight infected territory every year is bad. Control your vectors. If they are in the neighbors yard ask to help prune the disease out with them. I am assuming if you lost trees then they were either very young or the disease has been lingering in the plants for a long time. Keep the flower buds pruned off the new trees for 3 years after planting. Fireblight has to spread from a living plant not from saw dust but planting in the same hole is not a good idea.

[@safetysmith]

Another great video Bill. You helped me with my two apricots and purple plums over the weekend an now I can attack my pear and apple trees with confidence. I hope the bears leave some fruit for people this year. :)

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Thanks for the feed back. I do not miss bears here in Hawaii. They used to tear up my bee hives in Wisconsin.

[@carolynmyre8375]

That was informative but well presented and you are a funny guy! I can see one of my pear trees planted last fall already reaching for the sky. I will see what I can do without losing too many fruiting spurs at this early stage of the game.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Carolyn Myre I wouldn't worry too much about fruit at this stage of the game. Now is the time to develop tree structure. The guys at the farmers market will have pears if you need them for a couple years. If you live in an area where fire blight disease is prevalent than I would prune away the flowers or spurs for the first few years anyway. If the disease hit the young tree it can be severely damaged. The disease enters through the flower transmitted by pollinators.

[@robquiring6452]

I love that I found this video. I have a bartlett pear that's probably about 8 years old and I've never done a thing with it...but now I know better. Thank you! I was at a customer's house last week, and this man has a lot of fruit trees. I asked him about a large limb growing from the base of my tree that I just noticed this month. A little different color than the rest of the tree, no fruit spurs, and very large thorns that look quite murderous. He said that was a "root stalk", and that if I didn't get rid of it the fruit would be so bitter that I couldn't eat it. I took his advice as correct, since that limb is far to big to be this year's growth, and last year my pears were very ugly, never ripened properly, were hard as bricks, and tasted like garbage. I chopped that limb off today...what's your opinion on this? Think he was correct?

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

+Rob Quiring What you had was a sprouted root stock. All Pear trees are grafted. the top of the tree is the variety and the bottom is one sort of plant or another depending on type of dwarfing effect that is desired. Most of the time Pears are grown on Quince root stock because it makes the trees grow slower and bear younger. Unless the orchard keeper is aware that the trees are two different pieces and controls any growth from below the graft trouble can occur. Learn to identify your graft lines and remove any growth that emerges from below. The crummy "pears" you harvested were from the root not the pear tree. If your tree is a dwarf then they were some sort of quince. If your tree is a full size standard then they were some sort of pear that was never intended for eating.

[@robquiring6452]

+GreenGardenGuy1 Well dang...that's a little discouraging for me. It's a full sized tree which, after watching this video, I had decided to trim it down since it's getting too tall. But the worthless fruit I got off of it were from the main part of the tree, not that thorny root stock. I know this because they came off of the outer growth on the tree and that branch was growing along the inside.. Now, when I bought the tree it was sold as a bartlett pear tree. You're telling me this might not be correct?

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

+Rob Quiring Bartlett pears make Bartlett pears. If your tree makes something other than Bartlett then it isn't Bartlett. You would be searching for the graft line and isolating shoots from above the line as your tree. Anything from below the line is the root stock. Perhaps you guys pruned away the tree instead of the root stock?

[@robquiring6452]

+GreenGardenGuy1 Well, I've never pruned anything off the tree until yesterday. Just cut off the thorny limb. I've never enjoyed a pear that I've got from this tree, though, so I'm thinking it might have been mislabeled when I bought it

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

+Rob Quiring If it was miss labeled it would still make decent pears. Your tree has more issues than just not being a Bartlett. I can't tell you what happened but if it fails to make Bartlett pears then it isn't a Bartlett.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Where you take scion wood from on the mother tree doesn't matter much. The usual judgement is to find wood no thicker than a pencil. Anything larger or smaller is hard to work with. Pears and apples are in the rose family so a graft union is possible but not probable. I have found graft incompatibility between different pears let alone apples. Asian pear grafted to Comice will flower, fruit and then die the next year. Seckle fails too. I have never seen a good union on Pear and apple.

[@lyrehc77]

Thanks a lot for this video! I have a 20 yr old very sweet apple pear that I've pruned on and off but really needs to be pruned on top because I can't get the fruits anyway. Now I think I can do it better with your help :)

[@coparpanzeruser]

Bad year for fire blight, lost two trees. How long before resistant Moonglow can be replanted in same hole old ones were in? Roots removed, no saw dust while removing..Old ones were Bosc.

[@leadfarmer73]

this guy is fn awsome!!!!! I love his videos. i just cut all of my trees the right way this morning after watching his videos. i was scared to do it until i watched him. it was sooo easy. thanks greengardenguy1

[@bethsabath]

How are yours tree now a day ?

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

There is no harm in making the attempt, just be careful with the grafting knife, they are very sharp. I bought and sold multigrafted trees from Dave Wilson and L E Cooke for many years. These guys will mix pear varieties on Quince root stock, mixed apples on apple stock and they often mix stone fruits like plum apricot and cherry on myrobalan plum. I have never seen them combine apple and pear because there is no inter specific compatible root stock. Like I say, no harm done.

[@ThatBackYardLifeHWGAC]

New sub Thank you pruning my trees tomorrow I THINK YOU SAVED MY TREES GREAT VIDEO 👍

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Nice to hear. Have a great day.

[@queenmajesty5163]

Thank you ever so much, Bill. Of all the pruning videos I've seen yours are the most interesting & informative. After watching your video I had the courage to head outside & prune my pear tree which was definitely heading "outta space" :-). Looks great now. Subscribing. Cheers!

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

I'm pleased to hear the video helped. With near 400 videos on my channel I won't be surprised you find a few others that interest you. Most of them are more recent and with improved editing. Thanks for watching, Bill

[@mannpatrick]

Can you go back and take another video of the unpruned tree? It would be really interesting to see how it responded to the hard pruning.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

+mannpatrick Sorry but the client who owned that tree has sold the property and I no longer prune for them. The only reason that tree got pruned as it did is because for the first three years of it's life no one touched it. The pruning I gave it was to compensate for the sins of the past gardeners. Over the years I find a lot of under pruned fruit trees and the usual response to heavy pruning is for the trees to grow back with a vengeance. Anytime you prune a plant hard you mess up the balance of hormones and the plant will respond by growing much faster while trying to find it's apical dominance again. The point of this pruning is to create a certain shape. As that shape is achieved the next several prunings will get lighter. As the amount of wood cut down in winter reduces the amount of regrowth also reduces. After a few years you will only be pruning pencil to cigar sized wood. First a proper form has to be found though. Some fruit like citrus can be grown in the native shape but most fruit will require pruning to control size, fruit load and renewal of fruiting wood. Pears are one of the fruits that require pruning. Keeping them short enough to remove fire blight when it appears is a great idea.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Enjoying the fruit of your labor is what makes it all worth while.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

You will be a pro at this and making your own Pear videos in just a few more years.

[@poonpoonsmith399]

I'm watching this in July 2024. Thanks!

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

No pears to prune in Hawaii these days. Not a lot has changed on the subject though.

[@22helpless]

Aha! I knew you should take out the middle! I am satisfied to see that! I see me getting carried away and ending up with a stump if I'm not careful. ;) Tree trimming is fascinating. Tree-trimming videos are more interesting than anime!

[@VinceEspositoJr]

Bill, we chatted last year about my pear trees that headed toward Mars. I cut them back to outward facing buds and otherwise pruned them for shape. Results were good, sort of...getting fruit buds and new branches where I want them. However, all the new growth...new scaffolds and new growth at the tip of old branches are growing in a cork screw fashion - sideways, downward, upward, etc. I'd hate for them to harden off in that shape. Thoughts? Will they tend to straighten as they harden off? Thx.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Corkscrew growth isn't typical for fruiting pear varieties. The only two thoughts that come to mind is the wood deforms because of fruit load or the tree has taken on a benign virus that causes contortion. Is the twisted growth effecting the leaves too or just the wood? A benign contortion virus usually effects the leaves to as in the Harry Lauder's Walking stick Hazelnut or the Twisty Baby Locust. If it is just twisted from wind or fruit load I would get out the pruning shear to correct branches that don't behave. Pruning is always the easiest and most permanent cure for miss behaving branches.

[@VinceEspositoJr]

Thanks. Leaves are great. The branches are rubbery, as new growth on pears often is. I will give them some time to straighten/stiffen, give them a trim, and leave some of the more rigid new growth. Perhaps they got too much nitrogen?

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Vincent Esposito If the wood is very soft you may have applied extra nitrogen. What did you use? I generally go soft on nitrogen for my fruit trees. The main dose they receive is from the alfalfa tops I mow under the trees. This isn't enough to cause the sort of surging growth you are getting. Your fertilizer could stand to have more potassium perhaps. In any case pruning will fix strange branches but remember the whole point of the tree is to make fruit not win a beauty contest. Ugly branches usually fruit as well as pretty ones.

[@VinceEspositoJr]

Good advice. I'm sure I added a balanced organic fertilizer in spring as I routinely do, and I added some soil around the tree which was laden with cow and mushroom manure. Understanding how the pear trees react, I will be more circumspect next year. I will be planting some grasses, alfalfa and clover in the rows around the trees so that should allow me to feed the trees through clippings. Thx.

[@Snufflufugas]

Great video! We moved into our home last year, and had a tree that looked like a haunted house tree. After wanting to chop it down this year, it started to thrive and now has well over 100 pears on it! I searched and found that they are either Concorde or Conference pears. I haven't found anything about the harvest season for these, except for those in England. So, do you have any idea about when these would be ready to pick in Indiana? Thanks, and I'll be using your tips.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Thank you for the nice comment. Feel free to use these for your customers benefit.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Generally zinc sulfate is considered a fairly safe naturally occurring mineral. It is used in animal feeds and fertilizer. I assume that you are allergic to the compound. If you continue to use it you need better protection or let someone else spray it. My guess is that you are having trouble with necrotic leaf blotch if you are spraying this stuff. No one really knows the exact cause of this disease other than it is physiological. Zinc is only a suggested treatment not a solution.

[@bob21801]

Bill, I'm wondering if you topped off that overgrown tree, shortening the entire tree by at least 1/3. Certainly you have more experience than I, but I'm sure that's what I would have done, besides opening up for better air flow and sun, would have been right. It seemed as though you weren't quite finished pruning it when you ended the video. Thanks. Another excellent vid.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

I never top off trees but I do prune them. Topping refers to the pruner drawing an artificial line through the canopy and cutting the plant to comply with the line. This is a bad pruning practice. I prune, so I did reduce the length of most of the branches in the tree. I was pretty much finished by the end of the video. The best I can say here is that a good hair cut is difficult to notice and so is a good pruning job. A bad hair cut or pruning job jumps right out at you and often takes a long time to recover. The large over grown pear was at a customers house and I would never have allowed the tree to get so out of control if it had been in my own garden. The short tree in the video was in my yard and only requires limited pruning annually because it was trained from birth rather than having to under go damage control like the overgrown one. All of the most vertical growth was removed from the over grown plant.

[@hmlanding]

theres no way to get the original file, sent through email. I just don't have internet on the farm, and want to save the videos as a database on my laptop...Thanks Again for the Video's you are really helping us all out

[@artsychic2000]

thanks so much for your reply. It can't hurt and I just want to try. I'll let you know how it works out.

[@carolynmyre8375]

Thanks for the advice and you're right based on everything I've read and learned on you tube so far. I just put these trees into the ground late last summer. One of them looks like your worst case scenario tree but shorter. I'm thinking the tallest branches must be around 7-8 feet only but very vertical. I haven't seen fire blight yet since we've been here but saw some suspicious black marks on the trunk bark on our 4 in 1 apple tree. Sure hope that's not what it is. I didn't see any fruit on the pears last year not sure how old they are, and it does look like there are a fair amount of fruiting spurs now... I should try to get a photo.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Carolyn Myre The trouble with letting the young trees fruit is warping the small branches from fruit load and spreading fire blight into the core structure of the tree. I generally remove all fruiting spurs from the main trunk and the large scaffold limbs. This way it is unlikely that you will infect the core of the tree. As long as the disease only enters on the outer wood it is easy to prune away. Pears are wonderful but you have to be vigilant about disease or face the consequences.

[@carolynmyre8375]

Thank you! I'll work on removing these spurs and encouraging outward growth! Yes I am a first time pear tree grower so trying to learn as much as possible. Will have to be pretty vigilant on all the trees, also started peach and cherries last year.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Carolyn Myre Learning to cultivate fruit trees is one of the finer things a person can do with their time here on Earth. Go for it! Bill

[@carolynmyre8375]

I most certainly will have a good crack at it! I'm planting 3 cultivars of the romance series sour cherries this coming weekend as well. Romeo, Juliet and Cupid. Hardy to zone 2a... we are zone 4b here in rural eastern Ontario. Garden just keeps growing and growing and it will be a busy growing season for us :-)

[@3beltwesty]

Carolyn Myre Here I have been trimming the same pear tree for the last 44 years. The Miss Gulf Coast here gets about 70 inches of rain per year and for 2015 it has rained already 35 inches. With my pear tree I trim to allow sunlight to get to all areas and keep the center area very very open so I can climb up into the tree too to trim higher. The tree's base is about 12 to 13 inches in diameter and the tree has always been trimmed to be short 15 to 20 feet max like a fireplug since we are in a hurricane area. The entire tree went under salt water in 2005/ Katrina and the leaves turned black, but the next Spring it budded out and shot out green leaves again. Fire Blight occurs on my tree about every 3 to say 6 years and I cut it out. The book "The Gardening Encyclopedia" that goes back to 1936 by WISE mentions cleaning ones cutting tools while cutting out Fire Blight. ie the tools actually can spread the Blight too. I think the high humidity here and rain are a factor in spreading the Blight too. My tree naturally wants to fill in its center core and often have too vertical useless sprouts thus I tend to cut out. GreenGardenGuy1's video here is very good. I learned pruning from a Farmer in 4H club many decades ago. With my Pear tree some culvert work 20 years ago ruined some branches on one side and they had to be removed. I grafted on a new branch and today it is about 3 inches in diameter. To get the graft to work I had some failed attempts before I took hold. I mention all this because one can add a lower branch on an older tree. Without pruning my tree fills in its inner area and thus direct sunlight is less and then a few years later it gets Fire Blight. I live in a very humid area.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Yes, I control fireblight organiclly. Mostly by pruning it out as soon as I spot it. This is quite effective but you have to be on top of things. If you allow it to stay in the tree it keeps moving. Otherwise there is a bacteria called Bacillus subtilis, sold as Serenade. Only members of the rose family can get fireblight and of the plants you list only Raspberry is a rose. Even still, I have never seen fireblight on this plant. These plants are not the source of your trouble. Prune away!

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Thank you so much. I am glad I could help out.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Chad, not bad. The worst thing you could have done was nothing. I suspect this tree will continue to look better after a few years of annual care. Even if you didn't do everything perfect the trees will continue to grow and give you future chances to improve structure. Just make sure all your cuts are vertical enough to drain off water and things will be fine.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Once you accept your mission you are half way there. Good luck and thank you. Bill

[@kendanewberry7621]

Hi, thanks for the video!! I noticed you didnt use any of that black sticky spray tar stuff after slicing up that 4yr old tree. I'm going to have to do some work on a 10yr old pear tree that has never been pruned, should I seal it or just leave it to heal itself? thanks

[@linlenox2957]

I have a mature pear tree which I have not pruned for a year. This year I have no flowers and no fruit appearing. Can I prune correctly now or should I wait for winter? many thanks

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

@Compn1 Then you know how tall these trees can become without the aid of a person with a shear. I'm sure the squirrels love those upper pears!

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Sometimes I forget that you guys are pruning while we are picking. Hope it makes the job easier.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

I have never tried to download a video from you tube so I am not sure about that. I just copy the URL from youtube videos and play them from the web.

[@artsychic2000]

also...grafting should be done when the sap is running in april...would you agree?

[@debalenalang09]

The pear tree that was never pruned looked exactly like mine a few months ago. Finally pruned the branches this month. I don't know anything about fruit trees and actually thought it was an apple tree(LOL). My wife planted this and a gala tree about 3 years ago but the gala tree didn't survive the Chicago winter so we had the pear tree by itself and never bothered to trim. Now would I be able to cross pollinate a 3 yr old pear tree with a new planted fruit tree and what would be the best fruit tree?

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

I am a bit confused at your question. It appears you are asking me what other fruit trees are inter-fertile with pears. That answer is simple, pears are inter-fertile with pears and nothing else. The most important issue here is what type of pear did you plant? Different pears may or may not be self fertile. Depending on what tree you have will depend on whether you need a second pear of a different type to get fruit. You can plant any other fruit tree you like but make sure it is a self fertile tree so you don't have to worry about pollination. My mother in Chicago had a wonderful North Star Cherry tree for many years. These are self fertile. She also grew Golden Delicious Apples for years, they are also self fertile.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Thanks for this. I had no idea. Horticulture is my thing not copying videos. Bear in mind that I own the rights to these videos. I have no problem with people keeping a copy for personal use but that is the limit.

[@swivelgate]

Great how to do video. I have a pear tree like the last one you trimed growing to the sky.I see you trim alot off it,would that mean you wont get fruit until the next growing season.Also, how much is to much to trim.Best time of the year to trim .I live in Virginia. Thanks

[@thehulk8322]

Watching this in 2020! Loved it thanks for the great advice

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Thanks for keeping it fresh. The oldies but goodies are still cruising.

[@thebannedgreenman8939]

That was a good video. Full of learning points explained well. Thank you.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Thank you, Since selling the California home and moving to Hawaii i don't get much chance to prune pears anymore but the video still survives from the days that I did. I spend more time pruning coffee over here than pears. Although I did actually prune some apples at high elevation here the other day and added the video to the list.

[@thebannedgreenman8939]

The approach explained in your video gives me the confidence to hard prune some long neglected Pear trees [and plum trees] in a small orchard in an old farmstead I have moved to in a cold temperate climate. The trees have not been pruned for the past 12 years to my knowledge . Good luck with your Pacific gardening.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

After 12 years your trees will need some help for sure. It might take more than a single pruning season to reverse the neglect. I often work gradually towards the perfect form is it has been lost for a long time.

[@thebannedgreenman8939]

Thanks for the advice. These past few days I have made an initial pruning of the old neglected trees, noting that not more than about 20% total mass has now been cut off each tree; It will indeed take a few more years to tame the neglect. I have aimed at taking out the height and peripheral deadwood initially as 'this years' target. Being an optimist I have taken some of the cuttings/ suckers, using 'hormone rooting powder' to see if I can get some 'new' trees growing around the place. I should have done it in winter, rather than wait until March.........

[@stuartsullenbarger2023]

Bill.......Love the video on trimming a pear tree,a friend of mine in Ohio,has a pear tree in his back yard,I think he called it a Sugar pear....they are a small pear,when ripe..very sweet and juicy....if you want,I can save a few pears for the seeds and send you some...let me know...Stu.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

+stuart sullenbarger Stuart, I already have the tree, it is called Seckel. It will not come true from seeds though.

[@artsychic2000]

have you ever seen "back to eden" ? You should watch it if you haven't. It's about an hour and a half but well worth the watch. God bless

[@kellyellingson2335]

It is a good example of what needs removed on the Wild growing tree but did not follow the 1/3 rule of removal. So not done correctly. This would take about 3 years to correct properly.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Since in your opinion I don't know how to prune pears correctly I suggest to post proper pear pruning videos for the public. I have no intention of changing the way I prune because it works for me even if you don't approve. Aloha.

[@chandlerdavis952]

are you talking about zinc sulfate or copper sulfate mixed with sulfur?

[@CONCERTMANchicago]

I wish I could see reaction of old guy that had only been Crown lifting that second tree. By just removing trunks lower branches for clearance. After videos narrator gave it a well deserved modified leader type pruning, so this California public Garden is got that going for it now.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Thanks for watching and the comment. Bill

[@tombraun4277]

Very helpful to hear you think through the process while doing it. Thank you!

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

+Tom Braun Thank you Tom, glad to hear it helps. I didn't always talk to myself while pruning but one day while giving a class I silently cut a branch off of a tree. One of the students asked me why I cut that branch off instead of another. I told the student and said "Because the branch pissed me off!" From that point forward I realized sharing my thoughts was valuable. The student seemed to understand my methods better afterwards. Only kidding, Bill

[@luannharris8596]

we bought a house 2 years ago with a load of Asian Pear trees. thank you for all the tips on how to prune them. I do believe some have a disease, is there something i can do to help them?

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

+Luann Harris You most likely have an infection of fire blight. All pears are susceptible to it. The best way to deal with the disease is to prune it out of the trees as soon as it shows up. The longer you wait the worse it spreads. Never let the trees flower with the disease in the tree because it will spread by pollinating insects. Always cut one foot of good healthy growth off below the last sign of the disease when pruning. Clean your tools with alcohol in between every cut made on infected surfaces because you can spread the blight too. Here is a link to UC Davis on Fire Blight. They are a good source of info. www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7414.html

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Life is full of unanswered questions but we can prevent some of them by providing complete information when asking questions. I have no idea what they are spraying. I've seen people spray things as strange as bleach or undiluted Malathion. I am a horticultural consultant not a psychic.

[@srinivasanpadmanabhan1811]

Thanks so much Bill. My pear tree yielded fruits in the second year and nothing after that. now there are plenty of leaves already grown. Is it safe to prune now ? Is Comfrey,worm castings and bone meal combo good enough for fertilizer?

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

The main reason we tend to prune fruit in the winter is the plant is dormant. In spring the tree is full of tender growth, flowers or fruit. It is easy to damage the growth at this time. It can be done but only with care. If the tree is at fruiting age I would consider summer pruning instead. June and August cut back half of the new years growth. This is above the fruit. Spend the winter thinning the tree. Your fertilizer seems like it could work. Bone meal is high in P for flowers and roots. Worm casting don't have too much nutrient but they are healthy for the soil. I have never used Comfery. The nearest i get is using alfalfa. If the break down on comfery is near that of alfalfa it should work. I can't find any actual numbers for comfery, only people claiming it is full of nutrients.

[@AntonioBemfica]

By the way, I'm in Ottawa, Canada. Spring is just getting started, It was 6 Celsius today (43F).

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

There are alternatives to sulfur depending on what you are trying to spray for. Generally sulfur is used as a fungicide but metallic copper, ammoniac copper and Bacillus Subtilis will often work as well depending on what you are spraying for. What are you trying to control?

[@SFD-Horses]

Hey there Bill, Thank you for the video. I have 2 pears in my yard. One Ayers and one Keiffer, Sadly I could not find a Bartlett, so I stayed with those two. So anyway, they will be planted 2 years in May 2016 and are really tall, I pruned lightly last year and got fruit from the Ayers tree, but not the other. I don't want them to turn into your worst case tree. Should I prune them now or wait until early March when our buds will start coming out. Thanks!!!

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

+Daniele Summerfield When you prune a pear tree depends more on the climate than anything else. Since I don't know where you are located I will give the general concept. In mild winter climates prune pears between Oct and Feb. In cold winter climates prune at the end of winter, Feb to early March. Summer prune pears on this seasons growth anytime between June and early August. To each there own but you didn't miss out much with Bartlett. It is popular because it ships well and has good color but it doesn't even come close to Seckel for eating quality. If you add another tree try Seckel. Thanks for watching. Bill

[@tcsadt]

“…the previous pruner must never pick fruit…” then proceeds to remove the two lower branches.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

I had my reasons at the time. Sorry it caused a problem for you. Probably better pear videos elsewhere on the web.

[@cptnvegetable]

Thank you ! I have a brand new 4 -5 foot pear being shipped to me tomorrow. I definitely want to keep it short . Can I just cut it at the knee when i get it like I do my mangos ?

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

That is called an orchard cut and yes, every commercial pear farmer in the country cuts the trees that way while planting. Leave enough trunk to pass a mower under the tree and to grow 4 scaffold limbs well spaced apart and ascending the trunk in a spiral.

[@VinceEspositoJr]

I'm betting the answer lies in the label which may not have been read. Some folks assume the principal risk is inhalation when the real risk is from dermal contact. That risk alone is sufficient to elevate the label signal word from a simple warning to "danger."

[@pineappleprincess5138]

Hello. I'm thrilled to see a great pruning video. I'm trying to learn as much as possible about pear trees, I am located north of New York near Montreal Quebec. I have a west facing front yard (measures 30 feet deep by 20 feet wide). I am wanting to buy a pear tree from our local garden center (they have grafted 4 varieties onto one tree). How many trees do you think I could have in my front yard? Would my trees have 'curb appeal'? I'm open to any tips you'd like to suggest. Thank you!

[@robertengle755]

Great Video.....I live in Wenatchee and 2 years ago I bought and planted a 3-in-1 pear tree ( bosc, comice and Bartlett)....My problem is that it does not go straight up each of the 3 branches come from a main stalk but they each droop and make an arch I dont know how to make them start going up and when 70 pears start to fruit on them then the weight almost make the branches tough the ground ...how do i make it start going up ....i have braced them up with poles but they grow and still want to arch down ?????

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Robert, generally pears are a problem for their vertical growth not horizontal. If you had 70 pears on a 2 year old tree it sounds like over bearing on too young of a plant is the problem. Next year try thinning the clusters in May or June so the branches don't over load. Sometimes farmers will prop limbs in order to maximize profits but in the home garden I suggest thinning instead, I never prop. We usually prune to outward facing buds but in your case try pruning the branch tips to inward buds that point up instead. This will turn the growth vertical. As times goes by the problem with no vertical growth will disappear. If you can't get the branches to form properly because of fruit consider removing all fruit for one year to work on structure. Remember the horizontal and downward growing wood is slow growing and very fruitful, vertical growing wood is vigorous and produces little fruit. Bill

[@robertengle755]

GreenGardenGuy1 Great info thanks ...yea I though it was odd that last year it produced 17 pears and this year it is producing about 70 ...when I first planted it it was about 4 feet tall and the branches looked like the mcdonalds arches....I braced the main stalk because we have winds sometimes...and now they are just producing so many ...I am not complaining cause I eat them all LOL but I want them to grow taller and not in the mcdonalds symbol as they are now ...Thanks so much for the advice

[@High-Tech-Redneck]

Robert Engle my j n e up x8

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Richard Fiser Huh?

[@denebulagaming561]

Mr Garden Guy, you didn't let us see the end result of the worst case scenario! Also, lets say my pear trees are exceptionally tall at this point. Is it worth trying to prune them? Like 20-30ft tall and shoot up like you saw before.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

+Denebula Gaming The guy holding my camera for me messed up and missed the end of the video. The final tree should be short with only 4 to 6 main limbs coming from the trunk. A 30 foot pear tree is a problem. 15 feet between pruning is about the limit. I would be tempted to attempt to reshape the tree to something much more workable. This will call for a person who is skilled with a chain saw and pear trees. Not a job for a novice unless you are determined to learn.

[@VinceEspositoJr]

Thanks, Bill. I shall exert influence as well as patience.

[@JonelleTannahill]

Great information, thank you. I am now prepared to do out and trim our pear tree. :)

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Enjoy, this is an excellent time in mild climates to prune pears. Bill

[@artsychic2000]

can you tell me anything about grafting a pear branch to an apple tree? It can be done but not much information out there. I know Paul from "back to eden" youtube video has done it. If I were to graft a pear branch to an apple tree where would I take the branch from on the pear tree. Can I take the main branch at the top of the pair tree?