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Pear tree pruning

Penny_ForthemPenny_Forthem Posts: 306
in Fruit & veg
We had 2 of our pear trees professionally pruned at the start of last year and expected a good crop this summer.
However, there is no blossom at all on the new growth and only scant on the old.
We seem to have a very dense vertical spurt of new branches.
Even the one we didn't have pruned is very short of blossom.
We have a conference, Comice and a Williams.
Is it one of those poor blossom years, or should we be thinking about pruning again this winter?


Posts

  • Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,316
    How old are your trees? Where they being rejuvenated? Are the trees free standing or fan or espalier trained? It sounds as if most of the fruiting spurs were removed. 
  • Penny_ForthemPenny_Forthem Posts: 306
    @Joyce Goldenlily they are freestanding and about 15 years old.
    Have been reading up and it seems we have 'watershoots'.
  • pansyfacepansyface Posts: 21,890
    How professional was your professional? Did you find them in a trusted trader site or a gardening magazine page?

    No photo, but it sounds as if your trees have been butchered.

    Can’t say why the other is short of blossom.
    Apophthegm -  a big word for a small thought.
    If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 10,249
    I agree - a load of watershoots is usually due to over-zealous pruning

    I have 4 pear cordons and 1 pear tree - lots of bloom on all of them this spring.
    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Penny_ForthemPenny_Forthem Posts: 306
    Thank you - he's an established and reputable local gardener, but I think pruning was out of his sphere of knowledge, tbh.
    But by then, the damage was done.
    I think some very gradual pruning and thinning  will be required over the next few years. Thing is, neither of us is fit enough to do it.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 10,249
    If you have a mass of water shoots, it's best to remove no more than 1/3 of them per year.
    If you cut them all off at once, the tree fears it's going to die, so sends out even more water shoots
    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,316
    Oh dear! My previous neighbour had the same experience as you. 5 venerable Brambley apple trees were butchered and developed mop heads of water shoots. They never recovered sadly before they were eventually felled for building development.
    With time and careful pruning out of the watershoots, your trees can be salvaged, but it will take time.
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