Detailed Explanation of Pear Tree Planting Methods and Key Technical Points

For a pear planting site, one should first choose mountain land with a slope below 30 degrees, abundant sunlight, deep soil, a low groundwater table, and convenient drainage and irrigation, with neutral or slightly acidic soil. If planting in paddy fields, the field must have a low groundwater table and be convenient for drainage.

Fertilizing

Fertilizing period: for young trees, apply fertilizer in combination with deep plowing, hole expansion, and soil improvement. For fruiting trees, apply as early as possible after the fruit is harvested, in combination with deep plowing of the orchard.
Fertilizing method: outside the original planting pit, open side trenches and apply the fertilizer, with trenches 40-50 cm deep and 25-30 cm wide; the trench length depends on the size of the tree canopy, generally 100-120 cm. Apply the above fertilizers into the trench, mix well with soil, and cover with soil. For paddy field planting, the fertilizing trench can be relatively shallower.
Topdressing: topdressing is a supplement to base fertilizer. Topdressing must be timely and appropriate in amount, generally mainly using quick-acting fertilizers.
1. Topdressing for young trees. Young trees are mainly in vegetative growth, forming the canopy framework, so nitrogen fertilizer is the main type. From March to September, topdress once a month, applying urea or compound fertilizer diluted with water or opening shallow trenches before rain and applying it.
2. Topdressing for fruiting trees, mainly carried out during the flowering and fruiting period in the first half of the year.
① Topdressing before bud break and flowering. That is, 10 days before bud break and flowering, apply 0.2-0.3 kg of urea per tree.
② Topdressing after flowering. Apply 0.2-0.3 kg of compound fertilizer per tree.
③ Fruit swelling fertilizer. This fertilizer should be mainly potassium fertilizer, combined with phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizer, applying potassium sulfate compound fertilizer 0.3-0.5 kg per tree.

Water

Pay attention to drainage and drought resistance. There is more rain in the first half of the year, especially for paddy field planting, so attention should be paid to drainage. When the weather is dry in the second half of the year, if conditions permit, irrigate or sprinkle water in time. For orchards far from water sources, cover the tree basin to reduce water evaporation.

Training and pruning

At present, two tree forms are mainly used in production, namely the double-layer open-center trunk form and the natural open-center form with three main branches.
Pruning method: after trunk determination and bud break, select and keep 3-4 main branches as the first layer of main branches, and let the bud at the pruning cut serve as the central leader to grow upward. In the first winter pruning, shorten the main branches at 40-60 cm. In the second spring, pull the first layer of main branches to 60-70 degrees, and treat the remaining branches as auxiliary nourishing branches, also pulled to horizontal branches. At the onset of winter, select and keep 2 main branches sprouting from the central leader as the second layer of main branches. After two years of training and pruning, the form can be formed.
Pruning method: after the seedlings are planted, the trunk can be determined, with a trunk height of 50 cm. When new shoots grow to 20-30 cm, select 3 branches with balanced growth, appropriate orientation, and staggered upper and lower arrangement as future main branches for training. Other branches, if vigorous, should be thinned out; if weak, can be trained into fruiting branches by pinching or twisting. In late summer and early autumn, pull the selected main branches so that the angle with the trunk is 55-60 degrees. Before sprouting in the second year, leave 80 cm and shorten. At bud break, on each main branch, select and keep 2-3 side branches in the same way, and keep the shoot sprouting from the pruning cut bud as the extension branch of the main branch. After that, train fruiting branches and fruiting branch groups on the main and side branches. Through 3-4 years of training and pruning, the form can be formed.