How to Grow Pear Trees? A Detailed Guide to Pear Tree Planting Methods and Techniques

AbstractPlant at a spacing of 2m×3m or 2.5m×4m between plants. When planting, dig holes at marked points according to the row and plant spacing, then place a certain thickness of straw and other materials into the holes, and press down soil mixed with organic fertilizer. After harvesting the fruit in autumn, deep-plow the soil and apply fertilizer. Plant pollinator trees with the same flowering period at a certain ratio. Carry out the three-thinning work and shaping and pruning work on the saplings at the appropriate time. Prevent and control pests and diseases in spring. Bag the fruit 1 month after full bloom, and harvest in a timely manner.

1. Planting Density

Pear trees can be planted after the saplings lose their leaves and before they sprout. The planting density should be determined according to the terrain and plot of the orchard. Adopting planned close planting can, to a certain extent, increase the growth rate and yield of pear trees. The plant spacing for current planting is generally controlled at 2m×3m or 2.5m×4m.

2. Planting Techniques

When planting, dig holes 80cm wide and 50-60cm deep at marked points according to the row and plant spacing, then place about 30-40cm of straw, branches, or green manure branches and stalks into the holes, add topsoil and press it down firmly, then apply 50-80kg of organic fertilizer or 20kg of chicken manure, add 1-2kg of calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer, mix with soil, and fill in, shaping it into a steamed bun shape.

When planting, the graft union should be exposed 5-10cm above the ground. Be careful to firm the soil around the root zone, then immediately water thoroughly. If the planting site is in a windy gap, a support stake needs to be set up to prevent the sapling from lodging.

3. Soil Improvement and Fertilization

Deep plowing of the soil can improve the yield of fruit trees and the quality of the fruit. Generally, after harvesting the fruit in autumn and before the leaves fall in winter, deep plowing and soil improvement are carried out. Methods such as expanding the holes, deep plowing of the entire orchard, deep plowing of alternate rows, or deep plowing between every other plant can be used. Generally, the depth of soil turning is best controlled at about 30-40cm. If conditions permit, an alternate-year rotation plowing method can be adopted: in years 1, 3, and 5, dig a pit about 80cm deep and 50cm wide on both sides of the original hole; in years 2, 4, and 6, dig deep trenches on the other two sides, and apply base fertilizer at the same time.

To improve the yield and quality of pear trees, generally for every 100kg of pear fruit, at least 100kg of organic fertilizer should be applied, and 2.25kg of phosphate fertilizer should be mixed in. In addition to applying base fertilizer, topdressing is also needed at different growth stages of the pear tree. Generally, the first topdressing is carried out after the fruit trees bloom in mid-April. Topdressing at this time can make the branches and leaves grow better, promote flower bud differentiation and fruit enlargement. The second topdressing is generally around mid-May to early June, with the purpose of making the fruit grow larger. The third topdressing is carried out after harvesting the fruit from late August to mid-September, mainly to enhance leaf color, extend leaf lifespan, and help the saplings recover.

Topdressing outside the roots can be combined with spraying pesticides. When spraying pesticides, apply appropriate amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other fertilizers: 0.3%-0.5% uric acid at the commonly used concentration, 0.5% superphosphate, 0.3-1% potassium sulfate, 0.2-0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate. In addition, 5-10% decomposed human urine and 3-10% plant ash can also be applied. Never mix these with pesticides.

4. Pollinator Tree Arrangement

Pear trees belong to the cross-pollinated tree species. Many pear varieties only bloom but do not bear fruit. When planting pear trees, pollinator variety saplings with a similar flowering period must be planted to facilitate pollination. Generally, the ratio of the main cultivar to the pollinator variety is 2:1 or 1:1. At the very least, 3:1 or 4:1 must be ensured to guarantee stable yield.

5. Three-Thinning Technique

Thinning flower buds: This can be done at the same time as winter pruning. When thinning flower buds, follow a ratio of flower buds to leaf buds of 1:1. About half of the flower buds on the tree need to be thinned. The specific amount depends on how many flower buds the pear tree formed that year. Make sure to leave one flower bud every 17-20cm or so along the scaffold branches. When thinning flower buds, be careful not to remove leaf buds.

Thinning flower buds (buds): If flower buds were not thinned in winter, before the pear tree blooms, thinning flower buds can be used as a remedy. Generally, when thinning buds, keep one flower bud every 20cm or so, following the principles of thinning the poor and keeping the good, thinning the small and keeping the large, thinning the dense and keeping the sparse, thinning the lower and keeping the upper, and thinning axillary flower buds while keeping terminal flower buds. Buds that sprout relatively late and secondary flower buds should also be thinned. When thinning flower buds, pay close attention to weather conditions.

Thinning fruit: This needs to be determined according to the pear variety, sapling growth status, flowering period, and climate. If the saplings grow poorly but have many flowers and a high fruit-setting rate, then fruit thinning should be done earlier. For young trees or vigorous trees with fewer flowers, fruit thinning can be postponed or reduced. If the weather that year is normal, then thin fruit earlier; if the weather conditions are abnormal, then postpone fruit thinning. When thinning fruit, ensure each fruit has 25-30 leaves. In a normal year, a sapling can retain one fruit per fruit spur. For varieties with medium-sized fruit, each fruit spur can retain 1-2 fruits.

6. Shaping and Pruning

Shaping differs according to pear variety, planting environment, and site conditions. Shaping is mainly to increase yield. Generally, trees are shaped into an open-center stratified form, a multi-trunk open-center form, and a multi-scaffold round-head form, etc.

When pruning young pear trees, leave more branches and thin fewer branches. For pear trees bearing fruit for the first time, focus on cultivating their fruiting branch groups. The pruning length of the extended shoots of the main and lateral branches should be shortened year by year.

When pear trees bear a large amount of fruit, their scaffold branches tend to droop. At this time, raise the angle of the extended shoots. If the inner canopy of the pear tree is too dense, then thin out or shorten the overly dense auxiliary branches. If there is too much fruit hanging on the tree, causing branches to droop, a vertical bamboo pole can be used in the middle of the canopy to lift the drooping branches evenly around it.

7. Pest and Disease Control

Comprehensive pest and disease control on pear trees in spring can effectively reduce the probability of pest and disease outbreaks throughout the year and also improve fruit quality. At present, the main pests and diseases of pear trees include the pear fruit borer, aphids, pear psylla, stink bugs, red spider mites, etc. Prevention and control should be strengthened during the planting process to ensure yield and benefits.

8. Promoting Early Fruiting of Pear Trees

Pruning techniques can be used to promote fruiting in pear trees, but this should follow the principle of promoting first and then slowing, combining promotion and slowing. Promoting first and then slowing is because 1-2 year old young pear trees have a relatively high bud sprouting rate, but their branching ability is generally low. Therefore, young pear trees should have more branches shortened to increase the total mass of the whole tree. After that, according to the situation, some are lightly pruned and some are left to grow slowly. If a branch is intended to be cultivated as a scaffold branch, it should be lightly pruned during pruning. Other branches should be kept as much as possible. After being left to grow slowly, this promotes the saplings to produce middle branches and short branches, increasing the total number of branches and leaves of the whole tree. Only by doing this can the flowering and fruiting time of young pear trees be advanced.

9. Using Bagging Techniques

Bagging the fruit can reduce fruit russeting and color spots on the peel, keep the peel bright and clean, and can also reduce damage to the fruit from pests and diseases to a certain extent, increasing returns. Generally, bagging is best done 30-40 days after full bloom when the fruit's transverse diameter is within 20mm. Before bagging, spray a fungicide and insecticide once.

10. Timely Harvest

To improve fruit quality, timely harvesting is very important. When the peel of yellow-skin pears changes from dark brown to light yellowish-brown, and the peel of green-skin pears changes from dark green to light green or light yellow, their flesh will change from rough and hard to delicate, crisp, and sweet, and the seeds inside the fruit will also change from white to light brown. At this time, harvesting can begin.

When harvesting fruit, do it in stages and batches. Generally, pick the larger fruits first, and after 7-10 days when the smaller fruits have gradually grown, harvest them. When harvesting, movements should be gentle; never pull or bend forcefully, as this will cause the fruit to lose marketability. At the same time, protect the branches and leaves on the tree.

The storage time of fruit is greatly related to the harvest time. For example, if the harvest time of Cuiguan pear is delayed, the flesh will become mealy and it will also be prone to black skin disease, making storage impossible. Early-maturing varieties also have slightly poorer storage quality than mid-maturing varieties.