Six Key Points of Autumn Pear Tree Management Explained in Detail

Autumn is the most important season for flower bud formation in pear trees, and it is the critical period for cultivating the fruiting branches and fruiting branch groups for the following year, so strengthening autumn management of pear trees plays an important role in pear production. Below, the 6 key points of autumn pear tree management are explained in detail for everyone's reference.

1. Pruning and Training of Pear Trees in Autumn

1. Branch Bending

Bending branches can help young trees form a canopy earlier, encourage pear trees to sprout shoots earlier and more abundantly, inhibit vegetative growth, and shift to reproductive growth as quickly as possible, ultimately achieving the goal of early fruiting and high yield. Branch bending can be carried out from after the pear tree drops all its leaves in autumn to before bud break the following spring. Generally, for 2-3 year old pear trees, the main branches or main branch extension branches and secondary main branches should be bent well; for 4-5 year old trees, the secondary main branch extension branches, lateral branches, and second-tier main branches should be bent well. Since autumn branches are soft and not easily broken, they set into shape quickly, and the branches should be bent flat or with the tips pointing downward.

2. Branch Hanging

Pear tree branches are soft. During the full fruit-bearing period when they bear large amounts of fruit, most fruiting branches grow drooping, and when the fruit load is excessive, they are prone to splitting. A long rafter can be tied to the central trunk, and the fruiting branches of the pear tree can be hung on the rafter with ropes to prevent splitting. Alternatively, long wooden poles with forks can be used to prop up the fruiting branches of the pear tree at the middle to prevent branch splitting due to excessive fruit load.

2. Fertilization of Pear Trees in Autumn

Autumn application of base fertilizer to pear trees is generally best in mid-to-late September, the earlier the better, and at the latest completed before the soil freezes. The fertilizer chosen should mainly be organic fertilizer rich in organic matter, which is the basic fertilizer for long-term supply of various nutrient elements to pear trees. Organic fertilizer decomposes slowly and has a long-lasting effect, while pear tree roots are sparse and show fertilizer effects slowly, so it should be appropriately combined with quick-acting nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers, with less nitrogen fertilizer and more potassium fertilizer.

Where water sources are available, after fertilization, 1-2 thorough waterings should be given, which can both provide sufficient moisture for the fertilizer to quickly rot, ferment, and decompose, and prevent autumn drought. After leaf fall and before the soil freezes, irrigate the entire orchard once with wintering water to help the trees overwinter safely.

3. Pest and Disease Control of Pear Trees in Autumn

Pear tree bark is the overwintering site for many pests and diseases. The pear fruit borer, pear star caterpillar, pear aphid, pear lace bug, pear stink bug, and pear psylla mostly overwinter in bark cracks, becoming the source of pest and disease outbreaks the following year. At the same time, because old pear tree bark lacks elasticity, it constrains the thickening growth of the tree. Therefore, in autumn, old bark should be scraped off to reduce the overwintering pest population and lay a good foundation for pest and disease control the following year. After scraping, the bark scraps should be collected and burned promptly. The main trunk and branches should be whitewashed with a whitewash made from quicklime, salt, sulfur powder, and water, and Bordeaux mixture should be sprayed comprehensively to better enhance the effect of bark scraping.

At the same time, according to pest and disease occurrence, every 15-20 days, spray pear orchards affected by ring rot, scab, and moldy core with 50% carbendazim wettable powder at 500-600 times dilution or 70% thiophanate-methyl at 800 times dilution to control the disease.

After leaf fall, promptly clean up fallen leaves and dead branches in the orchard, remove weeds, and burn them in a centralized manner. The hanging ropes and propping poles should also be burned promptly after use. Before the soil freezes, it is best to deep-plow the entire orchard to a depth of over 30 cm to mature the soil and promote root growth.

4. Plowing and Turning the Orchard Soil of Pear Trees in Autumn

After harvesting the fruit, the orchard soil should be plowed and turned, which can loosen the soil, enhance permeability, and also reduce pests and diseases. After plowing, irrigate promptly according to soil moisture conditions. Through deep plowing of the orchard in autumn and winter, pests hiding in the soil layer under the tree canopy preparing to overwinter can be turned up to the surface, allowing birds to peck them or letting them freeze to death. At the same time, deep plowing can also bury diseased leaves, mummified fruit on the ground, and pests hiding in dry grass deep underground, so that they cannot emerge smoothly the following year and are smothered to death.

5. Timely and Batch Harvesting of Fruit

Based on factors such as pear variety characteristics, market timing, transport distance and conditions, and storage time, fruit growers should choose the appropriate maturity for timely harvesting, and early harvesting is prohibited. Picking in stages and batches can improve fruit quality and the rate of marketable fruit. Therefore, when harvesting fruit, fruit growers should first pick fruit from the lower part and outer periphery of the canopy, then pick fruit from the upper part and inner part of the canopy, harvesting in 2-3 rounds, with about 5 days between pickings.

6. Heat Preservation and Freeze Protection of Pear Trees in Autumn

After fruit trees drop their leaves, attention should be paid to heat preservation and freeze protection. Spraying the entire orchard with "Hushu Jiangjun" at 100 times dilution can prevent sunscald and freeze damage in fruit trees, and can also eliminate pathogens and pests overwintering on the trunk, protecting the tree body through the winter safely.