Need help pruning pear - Ask Extension
Hello, I need help pruning a pear tree. Please help. Thank you.
Knowledgebase
Need help pruning pear #892830
Asked February 19, 2025, 1:30 PM EST
Hello, I need help pruning a pear tree. Please help. Thank you.
Baltimore County Maryland
Expert Response
You can find pruning guidance on our Growing Apple and Pear Trees web page (it's too detailed to copy here). It's hard to see the branching clearly in the photos, but overall it appears to be in decent shape. One or two branches will narrow crotch angles, where the branch is headed up too vertically and close to the main trunk, may need to be removed or at least shortened. As with the apricot you asked about, look for crossing or soon-to-be-crossing branches and remove one of the pair, choosing the healthier, more well-spaced branch to keep.
We see what looks like a tie connecting the trunk to a side branch; if so, we recommend removing it that so the branch isn't being pulled upright (and so it doesn't restrict growth or abrade the bark later on). Even though it's natural for pears to develop somewhat-upright growth (more so than most other fruits), and narrow crotch angles are less weak on pears than for other trees, this still limits the amount of direct sun the length of that branch receives, which can detriment the quantity or quality of fruit later on.
Miri
We see what looks like a tie connecting the trunk to a side branch; if so, we recommend removing it that so the branch isn't being pulled upright (and so it doesn't restrict growth or abrade the bark later on). Even though it's natural for pears to develop somewhat-upright growth (more so than most other fruits), and narrow crotch angles are less weak on pears than for other trees, this still limits the amount of direct sun the length of that branch receives, which can detriment the quantity or quality of fruit later on.
Miri