Pruning a Spindly Pear Tree

Cedrus

I've made a few searches without success, so I'm now starting my first thread.

I have a pear tree which took a few years to bear fruit, but last year gave a great harvest of about twenty fabulous pears. The first problem was that fourteen of these were on one spindly branch which cracked, was propped and then was amputated by myself after harvest.

This year, the tree nearly fell over as soon as the weight of the leaves came on it. I strapped it back to a fencepost and it seemed OK apart from some blackleaf infestation, but there were no flowers or fruit this year.

I feel that this tree needs to be brought back to a point that it can support itself (and maybe fruit again) and be a sturdy tree instead of a spindly one. Should I cut it back hard or very selectively, if selective cutting is the answer, what does that actually mean? Or does it need feeding, if so what and when should I feed it?

Sorry for sounding so thick, I have a little experience with apple trees but am unsure how similar pear trees are in this regard.

Oldtree

sounds like a serious root problem if the tree nearly fell over and if so may be better to start again, esp as it fell over with just leaves on. It would be normal practice to, if a heavily laden fruit branch to remove most of the smaller fruits, leaving some of the larger fruit, which will then be tastier It may also be necessary to support said branch. Pruning would also include a management aim of ensuring sufficient support in the future for fruit.

you might find something to help you here

RHS Guide to winter pruning
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?PID=90
RHS Guide to summer pruning
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?PID=212
RHS pruning new trees
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?PID=164
RHS renovating old trees
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?PID=279

but with your tree now supported perhaps this may be the way to go if you decide to retain it:

RHS cordons
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=87
RHS espalier
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?PID=319

Cedrus

Oldtree wrote: »

sounds like a serious root problem if the tree nearly fell over and if so may be better to start again, esp as it fell over with just leaves on. It would be normal practice to, if a heavily laden fruit branch to remove most of the smaller fruits, leaving some of the larger fruit, which will then be tastier It may also be necessary to support said branch. Pruning would also include a management aim of ensuring sufficient support in the future for fruit.

Thank You!
The real weight was not just the leaves but the way they held onto the heavy rain we had this spring, but there is definitely an imbalance between what is in the air and what the trunk can support. There was no indication that the roots were being strained, all of the bending was on the trunk(s) which are very thin.
The RHS is a fabulous resource, I've read a lot of their advice although I missed the summer pruning and the new tree pruning sections which I certainly could have done with a couple of years ago. All is not lost though, it's definitely not an old tree so some of the advice is for new trees is still relevant.

I've always fancied an espalier but have never had the wall for it, a cordon might be the way to go, but maybe with a younger tree.

Denis322

I've a similar enough problem. My apple tree only started baring fruit this year, and 80% of the fruit was on one branch which could barely support the weight of them. The tree splits into four trunks at the bottom, and the rest of the tree is just spindly branches. Needs a serious pruning to try make branches sturdier.