Thanks for the tips... one question, if I want to reduce the overall
height and/or diameter of the entire tree say from 25'x25' down to
12'x12' can this be done? I can get rid of the verticals and the ones
close to the trunk. But I still I'd like a smaller tree. With apple
trees over the years I had really taken 25 footers and butched them
down to 12' and got a smaller healthier tree, but I don't know if
Bradfords could withstand this type of pruning. Ideas? thanks again!

On Dec 3, 3:42 pm, Stephen Henning wrote:
SolFrankRosen wrote:
thanks in advance... I live in central NC and have 3 Bradfords that
I'd like to prune to protect the house and the trees too. One is about
14" trunk diameter (15 years) and 25' tall.... the other 2 are 11"
trunk diameter (11 years) and 20' tall. When can I cut them, where to
make the cuts, etc. I'd like to reduce the general sizes down to about
half there current size. This would mean dozens of cuts of course, but
I'd like to improve the trees, even though for a couple of years they
might look funny. I've seen people around here really cut them back
far, but I need some advice before.... thanks! Sol

Generally trees that bloom in early spring are pruned after they finish
blooming--the Bradford pear fits into this category. After ten to
fifteen years, large branches on a Bradford pear begin to split and fall
if the tree has been left unpruned.

With careful observation, you can decide which limbs should stay and
which should go. First to go are the thin vertical limbs in the center
of the tree. They provide few blooms and impede air circulation through
the tree. Next out are the major limbs that are spaced too closely
together along the main trunk. When choosing between two limbs, keep the
one that grows more horizontally. Remove the large limbs before green
leaves appear and they become even harder to manage.

You can seriously harm the tree if a big limb is cut carelessly. If only
one cut is made next to the trunk, the limb will sag before the cut is
complete and strip bark off for a distance down the trunk. It is best to
cut the limb once from below and then from above, a couple of feet from
the trunk, allowing most of the limb to fall away. The stub that is left
can be removed with a single cut just outside the branch collar on the
trunk.

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Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USAhttp://rhodyman.net