Critique my pruning.

[Northbound]

Is anyone else adhering to the rule of not planting pear trees near apple trees? I think I missed the memo somewhere along the way. :/

I used to keep them about 100 yards away if possible. Think I read the warning on a qdma article years ago.
However I've been in multiple business orchards in last couple years that have pears planted along apples and no issues.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Wildthing - Just a thought .......... Be careful thinking trees get too big for voles to chew on them. My camp lost 3 big, old trees ( 16" to 18" dia. at base ) to voles in a winter with deep, crusted snow. Girdled all the way right down to white wood. We lost all 3. Just a cautionary tale of woe so you don't get "bit".

 

[Wild Thing]

Wow! Thanks for that tip bowsnbucks. Actually, the trees I lost to voles I would have thought would have been almost too big for them but they weren't. I think I will play it safe and continue to wrap them in hardware cloth.

 

[chickenlittle]

I've thought about the fireblight issue but not before i started my orchard. I plan a new pear planting a couple fields over. If i start to get FB, I'll remove the problem aggressively.

For smaller plantings, i think or makes sense to segregate apples and pears just for pollination.