"Douglas" wrote in message
...
"jonperry" wrote in message
s.com...
My first post so a quick intro. We moved to Somerset 3 years ago from
Wales. The lure to the house we bought was a large garden (about 3/4
acre). The downside was that the house had been virtually uninhabited
for 12 years and the garden very neglected. In addition, we are very
much novice gardeners. We've spent the last 3 years weeding, clearing,
and planting a number of shrubs and trees.
That's the intro. Now to my question. Two of the trees we planted are
pear trees. I ordered them from the Good Housekeeping magazine and
planted them in February (I think!). Both trees are doing well.
Essentially they resemble beanpoles with numerous short shoots and
leaves sprouting all the way up. I want them to be 'bush' (?) trees
eventually but I'm not sure how or when to prune them. I've searched
the net for advice but the only info I've found seems to be about
pruning more mature trees.
Any advice gratefully received.
--
jonperry
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posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk
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It's quite simple.
It is now spring so you should be doing the spring pruning now.
You will notice that at this time of the year they have flowered (earlier
down South) and have little blobs where the flowers were. Ignore those
and
don't damage them They are this years crop..
Now notice that the branches are throwing up longish vertical tender
shoots
with leaves on..
To get a compact show of fruit you prune those new shoots down to two
leaves, (or 'nodes',) or buds. Snip just above the second node. Some
people
like to enhance the size of new trees by leaving say one or two more
leaves
than that, on the new shoot.
Those newly pruned shoots will should bearfruit next year.
Shaping the tree is called winter pruning. lop any badly shaped or
cankered
branches, - within reason.You may want an upside down champagne glass
shape
or a upside down roundish tumbler shape, or you may want to train the tree
along a wall espalier fashion (Fan shaped, more or less), or along a very
low horizontal beam so you can step over it.
Whatever shape you want the branches to be, you must try to keep the
inside
of the cup shape rather open to allow light and air to have free access.
Awkward branches that go across in the middle should be dealt with. The
bole
(trunk of the tree) will of course go straight up the middle whatever
happens.
If you have plum trees they are OK to have but are a wee bit tricky.
Pruning can let in disease if you are not careful, especially because they
flower early and they are frost prone, so try to wait a bit later..its a
good idea to paint the pruned wounds to keep out disease , rot , mould
and
canker. There are proprietory pruning paints, though I have occasionally
used ordinary undercoat or gloss when stuck.
That's about it, you soon get used to it, - it's a simple task.
Good luck wih your new abode.
3/4 acreage is quite large, don't get too ambitious is my advice , just
tootle along until you settle down and know what is just right for you
without becoming a slave.
I mean you will want occasionally to slonk in a deckchair on the lawn and
read an edifying book or two!. Not forgetting a glass of lager in summer.
No
fag smoking!. You want to live long enough to enjoy your new home; - and I
speak with bitter experience.
Doug.
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Dont you think these trees sound like the 'bolero' type? i.e the ones that
are dwarf and dont get side shoots of any consequence? And therefore dont
need any pruning? And cant be made 'bushy'?
" Essentially they resemble beanpoles with numerous short shoots and
leaves sprouting all the way up. "
--
Tumbleweed
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