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How to train/prune my Asian pears?

Pear    Italy

Hi from Italy!
I have a question about asian pear training/pruning.
I have 3 plants planted this spring and I have to prune them next winter.
I found that Asian pears are usually trained as vase shape.
I read that I have to cut all the branches lower than 50 - 60cm (20-24 inches) and select 4-8 strong branches.
I did not understand where to cut the leader.
Anyway I have 4 questions one for each plant.

1- I have a plant that had strange stains, I thought they were cankers so I cut the stained parts.
During the growing season three branches developed in the lower part.
Now I think I will cut the upper part (the damaged and maybe ill) and the two smaller branches, what do you think about it?

2- A plant developed a lot and doubled their dimensions.
Now it is about 10 ft tall, how have I to cut the tip?

3- Another one did not developed a lot and, according to what I read, it developed a fruit-bearing bud at the top.
How have I to cut it?

4- There is a old European pear, it has not being pruned.
How have I to prune it?

Thank you very much!


Posted by: Mirko (2 points) Mirko
Posted: November 14, 2017




Answers

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Hi Mirko, agree usually Asian pears are trained as vase shape, but can also train in a three- or four-limb open-center or quad form system (image 1).

1. Since the plant is very young, it is better to keep the main stem for few season ( see image 2).

2. Image 3 shows you how to prune the pear tree for the first three years in the central leader method.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/y...

3. "On young trees, a good portion of the fruit is borne at or near the tips of 1-year-old shoots. As the tree matures, most of the fruit is produced on the scaffold branches. These spurs have a productive life of about 10 years. Pruning should be done to remove about 10 percent of these terminal spurs every year." (image 4)
http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic...

4. Certainly it needs pruning. Please remove broken, injured or diseased branches which provides proper air circulation and reduces foliar diseases (image 5, 6, 7).
http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic...





Posted by: Dr. Ravishankar Narayana (15 points) Dr. Ravishankar Narayana
Posted: November 14, 2017


Mirko commented,
Thank you!
About the first plant, I told to cut the "leader trunk" because it is probably ill.
Anyway the plant developed new branches under this part.
So I think that it's a good thing to cut it and make one of these new branches the "new leader".

over 6 years ago.

Dr. Ravishankar Narayana commented,
I think it is possible, but as the plant grows, it won't be a straight tree.
over 6 years ago.

Mirko commented,
I will train it. The main trunk is damaged and did not developed at the top.
over 6 years ago.



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