I have several apple and Japanese pear trees that were planted 2 -3 years
ago. They are looking scraggly and I'm wondering if I should trim them in
some way. They have a few branches that are very long and now carrying so
much fruit they are drooping almost to the ground. I've thinned the fruit in
hopes of saving the branches from breaking but I'm wondering if I should
just cut back the long branches to force side branching? At the moment, I
can't imagine they will ever look like normal trees!

In article , "Anonny Moose"
wrote:

Thin the fruit a lot. It should be about 8 inches between fruit on a
mature tree. On a young tree there should be even greater spacing. You
can do a little trimming now but the major pruning should occur during
the dormant season.

You are correct that the load of fruit will break the branches. That is
not a good thing.

Dick


I have several apple and Japanese pear trees that were planted 2 -3 years
ago. They are looking scraggly and I'm wondering if I should trim them in
some way. They have a few branches that are very long and now carrying so
much fruit they are drooping almost to the ground. I've thinned the fruit
in
hopes of saving the branches from breaking but I'm wondering if I should
just cut back the long branches to force side branching? At the moment, I
can't imagine they will ever look like normal trees!

Richard Cline in
:

In article , "Anonny Moose"
wrote:

Thin the fruit a lot. It should be about 8 inches between fruit on a
mature tree. On a young tree there should be even greater spacing.
You can do a little trimming now but the major pruning should occur
during the dormant season.

You are correct that the load of fruit will break the branches. That
is not a good thing.

or just remove all fruit.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&l...g+dwarf+fruit+

Have you pruned them at all during their dormant season? If not, find a
guide at your library/bookstone or on the internet on pruning and care of
fruit trees. I can't think of a good one off the top of my head, but
perhaps someone else can.

--
Jacqueline
Carmichaels PA
"Anonny Moose" wrote in message
...
I have several apple and Japanese pear trees that were planted 2 -3 years
ago. They are looking scraggly and I'm wondering if I should trim them in
some way. They have a few branches that are very long and now carrying so
much fruit they are drooping almost to the ground. I've thinned the fruit
in
hopes of saving the branches from breaking but I'm wondering if I should
just cut back the long branches to force side branching? At the moment, I
can't imagine they will ever look like normal trees!

In article , "Jacqueline"
wrote:

Pear trees tend to grow straight up. It will be a continual battle to
get growth in the direction you want. You should use spreaders and
selective pruning to encourage side growth.

At present I would employ additional thinning and some selective pruning
to control the vertical growth.

Dick


Have you pruned them at all during their dormant season? If not, find a
guide at your library/bookstone or on the internet on pruning and care of
fruit trees. I can't think of a good one off the top of my head, but
perhaps someone else can.

Have you pruned them at all during their dormant season? If not, find a
guide at your library/bookstone or on the internet on pruning and care of
fruit trees. I can't think of a good one off the top of my head, but
perhaps someone else can.

--
Jacqueline
Carmichaels PA
"Anonny Moose" wrote in message
...
I have several apple and Japanese pear trees that were planted 2 -3 years
ago. They are looking scraggly and I'm wondering if I should trim them in
some way. They have a few branches that are very long and now carrying so
much fruit they are drooping almost to the ground. I've thinned the fruit
in
hopes of saving the branches from breaking but I'm wondering if I should
just cut back the long branches to force side branching? At the moment, I
can't imagine they will ever look like normal trees!