Pear trimming after horse snacked on it....

[secuono]

Ok, so the pear I wanted to trim last year, and you guys told me to wait, got mostly eaten by my mare....Maybe she thought no one would trim it, so she did it herself....heh.

Here are pics of it. I pulled off three little shoots that were growing right in to another branch. Tied two branches down to grow slightly horizontal. But pics are before that.
I like having the very low branches, so I don't want the tree's first branches to be cut and end up higher on the tree.
I'm going to redo the trunk fencing when the tree is larger, so the sheep can graze under it. My sheep don't climb fencing, so no issues with them stealing. I added hot wire to keep my mare away from any further trimming 'help', I'll end up moving the wire more and more as the tree grows.

 

[lesa]

I think it looks like she did a pretty good job! Good thing she didn't spend anymore time there! Good luck with the pear tree...

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

good thing she wasn't helping you trim cherry trees. :/

 

[thistlebloom]

It's a very healthy looking little tree!

You are right to want the branches to be more horizontal. Pears in particular tend to grow with very narrow branch angles which make them weak and prone to splitting, especially with a snow load, or when heavy with fruit.

This is a good time for you to start widening those branch angles while your tree is still young. You can make spreaders to help with that, which are basically wooden sticks with a notch in either end to fit against the trunk and branch.

Trees grow from the crown so if a branch is now, say, 3 feet off the ground, it will always be 3 feet off the ground.

It's a pretty tree, good luck with it.

 

[secuono]

She topped it, it used to be two leaders going up about 1 foot. She turned it into a bush.

Last year.

 

[thistlebloom]

Oh, you will be pleasantly surprised Secuono! Your tree will develop a new leader and become a tree with maybe a funny little hiccup in the central trunk. Trees always want to be trees and it's hard to persuade them to behave like shrubs.

 

[secuono]

There's an old leader down lower, you can see in the pic. Now there is yet another, well, two where the first was, on either side.


Went ahead and 'butchered' the tree some and bent other branches. Not sure if it's right and proper, but it will work for now. Will get a new pic at some point.

 

[thistlebloom]

If the tree is developing two leaders you'll want to pick one and shorten the other. Trim the one that will be shorter to an outward facing bud or leaf axil ( that's so the new growth it develops won't grow toward the trunk or straight up).

 

[secuono]

My issue is that this will be on an already new header and wonder if the weight will cause it to snap in the future.
Should of just waited and found a nonbutchered tree...

 

[baymule]

It's a very healthy looking little tree!

You are right to want the branches to be more horizontal. Pears in particular tend to grow with very narrow branch angles which make them weak and prone to splitting, especially with a snow load, or when heavy with fruit.

I knew pears grew straight up and narrow. They almost look like Christmas trees!

This is a good time for you to start widening those branch angles while your tree is still young. You can make spreaders to help with that, which are basically wooden sticks with a notch in either end to fit against the trunk and branch.

I didn't know that I could spread the branches and train it to do something other that look like a rocket aimed at the moon. Thanks so much for this info. I just happen to have a young pear tree in the front yard!

Trees grow from the crown so if a branch is now, say, 3 feet off the ground, it will always be 3 feet off the ground.

It's a pretty tree, good luck with it.

goes out in garage looking for suitable wooden sticks.........