I don’t have any experience with Asian pears, but I am planning to plant some high density pears in the future, and have given some thought to keeping them productive within their space.
It seems to me that the trees are too tall already. A twelve foot row spacing limits tree height to nine feet if rows are north-south, and eight feet if rows are east-west to provide good light penetration. I have had very good luck bringing some Red Clapp pears down to almost half their size. Our best result was with: 1)Dormant pruning between snow melt and bud break. 2) Cut the trunk just above a limb. 3) Seal the cut with Tree-Kote or similar. 4) After one year bend all new growth over sharply with biodegradable twine. It might be worth experimenting on different rows whether summer pruning or limb bending will keep growth in check better. A wire trellis may be beneficial to have something to fasten limbs to in order to keep them below horizontal. It would seem that the Tall Spindle principle of removing any limb once it is too big for its space is going to have to be ruthlessly enforced on that spacing. Ernest Rollins 207-717-7057 Rollins Orchards 262 Dexter Rd Garland, Me 207-924-3504 www.rollinsorchards.com From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Weinzierl, Richard A Sent: Friday, August 01, 2014 10:13 AM To: Apple-crop discussion list Subject: [apple-crop] Planting density for Asian pears A new grower bought an Asian pear orchard that was planted a few years ago north of Peoria, IL. Except for pollenizers, it’s all ‘Shinko’, and apparently its resistance to fireblight is very good – I saw only one or two infections in hundreds of trees. They have planted trees at very high density (4 feet in-row by 12 feet between rows); the trees are at least 12 feet tall. Is anyone familiar high-density production of Asian pears? And if so, do you have any pruning recommendations? It’s obvious the density and prior pruning practices will not work together. The fact sheets and similar references that I’ve seen suggest much lower tree densities (218 to 242 trees per acre). Any general thoughts on managing the trees at high density … and what spacing would you recommend for the additional plantings they intend to make? Rick Weinzierl Professor and Extension Entomologist IL SARE PDP Coordinator Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois S-334 Turner Hall, 1102 S. Goodwin Avenue Urbana, IL 61801 217-244-2126 _____ No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2014.0.4716 / Virus Database: 3986/7950 - Release Date: 07/30/14
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