Pear Bonsai Pruning Methods and Techniques Explained

  Pear trees are suitable for making many different bonsai styles, such as the formal upright style, slanting style, curved-trunk style, double-trunk style, forest style, semi-cascade style, and trunk-on-rock style. Because the leaves are relatively large, the crown is mostly shaped naturally rather than being wired into flat pads. Because pear trees grow vigorously, with a large amount of annual growth, and the top shoots develop strongly, no matter what style of bonsai is being made, the methods of heading back and pinching out the growing tips must be used to control the growth of vigorous branches, so that a short, compact and naturally graceful crown is formed, and so that vegetative growth is transformed into reproductive growth, which favors the formation of flower buds.

  The pear tree's fruit is large, and it is the main ornamental feature of the bonsai. When cultivating the crown, the size, quantity and distribution of the fruit should be determined according to the plant's form and nutrient reserves, so that there is a certain amount of variation. In addition, by methods such as bending branches, twisting branches, curving, and cutting back, the direction of the branches is adjusted, the number of scaffold branches is increased, vigorous branches are controlled, and short branches are encouraged, so as to cultivate strong fruiting branches and make the bonsai full of foliage and bear a moderate amount of fruit. Pear trees have well-developed root systems, and the roots can be raised as needed to enhance the bonsai's sense of age and antiquity.

  After the tree shape is basically stable, attention should be paid to maintaining vigorous tree growth so that it bears fruit year after year. Combined with pruning and shaping, remove water sprouts, crossing branches, overlapping branches and dead branches, and cut back vigorous branches to encourage lower buds to sprout and develop into branches, so as to cultivate compact fruiting branch clusters. This also gives the bonsai clear layers and well-proportioned density, achieving a naturally graceful artistic effect.

  Pear tree branches fall into two main categories: fruiting branches and vegetative branches. Fruiting branches are further divided into long fruiting branches, medium fruiting branches and short fruiting branches. In pear bonsai, short fruiting branches and the short fruiting branch clusters formed by them should be cultivated. To maintain the shape of the trunk, medium fruiting branches need to be cut back. Vegetative branches are also divided into growth branches, water sprouts and moderate branches. According to the needs of the design, the above branches should be cut back, and water sprouts that spoil the tree shape, overly dense moderate branches, and shoots sprouting from the rootstock should be removed. For young trees that have not yet been shaped, branches should be cut back according to the needs of the design to stimulate branching and quickly form the basic framework, and then year by year ideal, strong fruiting branch groups should be cultivated, thus forming a tree shape with a short, small crown but abundant fruit.

  For pear bonsai that have already been shaped, the balance between vegetative growth and reproductive growth should be regulated according to the characteristics of the variety and its growth vigor. When there are too many flowers and too much fruit, flower thinning and fruit thinning should be carried out appropriately to control reproductive growth and promote vegetative growth. After pear trees show flower buds, remove flower buds that are too small, deformed, or located in unsuitable positions. Fruit thinning should be carried out in stages and batches. The first fruit thinning should be done about half a month after the flowers fade, removing those in the inflorescence that are too dense, affected by pests or disease, deformed, or without leaves, keeping 2 to 3 young fruits per inflorescence. The second is "fruit setting", usually carried out after the normal physiological fruit drop in late May to early June; depending on fruit size, 1 to 2 fruits should be kept per fruit cluster. Trees with strong vigor can keep a few more, while weak trees should keep fewer.