Pear Tree in February: monthly care

Prune pear trees during their dormant period in December, January, or February, ideally on a dry day when temperatures are above freezing. Winter pruning encourages vigorous growth and makes the tree's structure easy to see. Use clean, sharp secateurs for small branches and a pruning saw for anything thicker than your thumb. For young trees, focus on establishing a strong framework. Aim for an open-centred goblet shape or a central-leader system, depending on your preference and rootstock. Remove any branches that cross, rub against each other, or grow inward toward the centre. Cut back the main leaders by about a third to an outward-facing bud to encourage branching and a balanced shape. Remove any shoots growing from the rootstock below the graft union immediately. On established trees, the goal is to maintain an open structure that allows light and air into the canopy, which improves fruit quality and reduces disease. Remove dead, damaged, or diseased wood first, cutting back to healthy tissue. Thin out overcrowded spurs and shorten vigorous upright shoots (water shoots) that won't bear fruit. Pears fruit on spurs that develop on two-year-old and older wood, so avoid over-pruning these short, knobbly growths. In summer, you can lightly prune trained forms such as espaliers or cordons by shortening new side shoots to three leaves in late July or August. This encourages spur formation and keeps the tree compact. Always prune to just above a bud, angling cuts away from it to shed water.