Everyone knows that the autumn pruning of fruit trees allows you to form not only the crown, but also a strong skeleton of the tree, due to which it can withstand a large load at a high yield. If you are new to this business, I suggest that you familiarize yourself with my personal experience on how to properly prune a pear.
The need for autumn pruning
From my personal experience, I can share the following benefits of pruning pears in the fall:
- increases productivity;
- makes the fruits juicy and more tasty due to the fact that the cut crown transmits well the sun's rays falling on the fruits;
- old and deformed branches cut in time prevent branches from breaking off in winter.
I do crown pruning in the fall, as there are the following advantages during this period:
- there is no formation of new shoots on the cuts, since the vegetation process has already been completed on the trees;
- slow sap flow is observed, therefore, the juice will not show through the slices;
- there is a stimulation of a high yield for the next year.
I usually do the autumn pruning slowly, right after the fruit is removed from the pear. But in the spring you may not have time to carry out all the procedures before the start of sap flow. And in spring, frost often returns, which negatively affects the healing process of wounds after pruning.
The most important thing when pruning a pear in autumn is to do all the manipulations a few weeks before frost. But in the first year of planting, I do not prune the seedling, as this negatively affects its growth.
What you need to work
When pruning fruit trees, it is impossible to do without:
- secateurs. It is necessary when removing small branches up to 2.5 cm in diameter. It is also convenient for them to cut out young growth and dry branches;
- lochcoreasis. Outwardly and in function, it is similar to a pruner, but it has long handles, which makes it easy to cut high-lying branches;
- garden saw. With its help, I remove thick branches, the diameter of which exceeds 2.5 cm;
- garden varnish with which I process the cut edges.
Make sure all tools are sharp and clean before starting work. Otherwise, you can bring in various infections.
Difference between a ring cut and a kidney cut
All experienced gardeners use two main methods of pruning fruit trees. You can shorten the branches by cutting off the crown of the shoots (this is called a cut into the bud) or thinning (cut into a ring).
Ring cut
With this type of pruning, I get rid of unnecessary branches. So the wounds at the site of the cuts are tightened and heal faster. But the cut must be done close to the parent branch or to the trunk. If the cut is made incorrectly, for example, if it turns out to be too deep (with a notch), sap flow is disturbed, and the tree loses its strength. And if you leave a small stump in place of the cut, the bark will peel off, due to which the wood will begin to rot, and a whole focus of infectious diseases will form in that place.
Kidney cut
With this pruning technology, I change the direction of growth of the branches. To do this, on a stem that is 1 year old, it is necessary to find a bud looking in the direction we need in order to properly form the crown. I cut the shoot over the kidney at an angle of 45 degrees. In this case, I leave a small stump up to 2 cm. If you leave too large a stump, it will dry out over time, and the bud, most likely, will not wake up in the spring.
When to trim
I recommend for residents of the middle lane to carry out this procedure at the end of August or at the beginning of September (that is, immediately after the removal of the fruits). For residents of the southern regions, pruning can be done at a later date, for example, in October.
As a rule, autumn pruning of fruit trees is of a sanitary nature. Therefore, it should be as gentle as possible so that the tree has time to tighten all the cut points before the onset of frost.
Before you start pruning, you should read the following guidelines:
- all manipulations are carried out in dry weather, since during the rain the risk of infection of wounds increases;
- with the onset of the first frost, no manipulations with the removal of branches are carried out;
- when removing branches located at a height, it is worth using a ladder. You cannot climb the tree trunk, as the pear is subject to fractures;
- do not cut the branches too much. In one procedure, it is allowed to remove no more than 25% of the shoots from the total mass of the tree. If it is necessary to make a major pruning, then it is best done in the spring;
- skeletal branches, the diameter of which exceeds 5 cm, are cut in three stages;
- all sections must be disinfected and treated with garden varnish or other preparations;
- do not leave remote branches and shoots near the tree. If the plant has been infected with diseases or pests, then the cut material must be burned.
Trimming scheme
I offer my readers the simplest scheme for autumn pruning of pears:
- Cut out any diseased and dry branches.
- Cut the root growth.
- Trim tops.
- Thin the crown.
- Trim the annual growth per kidney.
Column pear trimming scheme
Unlike a regular pear, the columnar is cut in a slightly different way:
- The trunk is trimmed only in the fifth year of life. It should grow 15 cm every year.
- When several upper shoots develop on the tree, one of them is cut off under the ring. The strongest and healthiest shoot is left.
- All lateral branches are thinned out.
I hope my article will help you properly prune a pear in the fall, so that next summer it will delight you with delicious, juicy fruits in large quantities.
Read also: Transplanting a pear to a new place in the fall: advantages, timing, selection and preparation of a place
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