Q&A for How to Prune a Pear Tree

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What month do you prune pear trees?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

It’s best to prune a pear tree in late winter, shortly before it begins budding. Aim to prune your tree in late February or early March.

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Question

Do pear trees need to be pruned?

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wikiHow Staff Editor

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Pruning isn’t strictly necessary, but it can help your tree produce stronger fruit-bearing branches, which will optimize your pear harvest. Pruning also helps control the size and shape of your tree.

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Question

Can a pear tree be topped?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
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wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

You can top a young pear tree if absolutely necessary (e.g., if it’s gotten too tall for its space), but it’s not great for the tree. Topping a mature pear tree can be very damaging, and it won’t encourage the tree to produce more fruit. If your pear tree is too tall, do a light crown-reduction pruning while the tree is dormant instead of lopping the whole top off.

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Question

When is the best time to fertilize a pear tree?

Susan Butler

Community Answer

Fertilize them two weeks before they blossom in the spring of their second year and thereafter. You can also use ammonium nitrate as a fertilizer for pear trees. Use 1/8 pound multiplied by the age of the tree. Use less if you have very fertile soil already.

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Question

My pear tree has made a lot of side shoots on the main branches. Last year, I cut it back to about 3 leaves and a lot did not regrow. What did I do wrong?

Susan Butler

Community Answer

Cut off the top one-third of a pear whip (a tree seedling) that is 3 to 5 feet tall. If the tree is planted in the fall, wait until bud swell in the spring for the first pruning. Select one lateral branch during the first growing season, and remove all shoots except the leader (the main trunk) and the selected branch. The leader and branch should form a 70 to 90 degree angle.

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Question

How do I stop the birds and other animals from attacking my grown pears on my pear tree?

Community Answer

I hang old CDs and DVDs around my 8' x 8' raised vegetable patch at fruiting to keep the birds away; it may sound strange, but this really does work! I've also found it very useful to keep them from flying under the carport and emptying their droppings on the roof of my car.

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Question

What do I do if I pruned my pear tree and it's not producing fruit anymore?

Community Answer

You have probably removed all the second-year growth. Fruit will only form on branches that are at least one full year and working on the second year. Simply wait a year or two for the branches to mature.

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Question

Can I cut a 20 foot pear tree back in half without damaging the tree?

Community Answer

When pruning a tree radically, cut no more than a third of the tree. However, be aware that usually that eliminates fruit for that year.

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