I got two pear trees that are prob 5 year old trees. The prob I have is the central leader looks like an upside J. I obviously want it to grow upright but these two pear trees I neglected last year and it’s coming back to haunt me. I tried hammering down a 3/4 inch 10ft electric conduit pole beside it and was planning to use the rubber tree lock to get it more upright, but by the time I hammer the pole into the ground, I’m losing 3-4feet of the pole and where the tree starts to bend is like at the 7ft mark. So that idea did not work. Any suggestions or ideas?
What to do to straighten tree out
- Thread starter BobinCt
- Start date
S.T.Fanatic
5 year old buck +
Would it work if you pounded the conduit in several feet away from the tree and angled your "guy wire" from the bent portion of the tree to the conduit?
4wanderingeyes
5 year old buck +
I have an apple tree like that as well. It is too tall for me to reach, so I leave it. It still grows apples. But other then that, I dont know if it will hurt anything other then looks? Maybe some of the pros know?
S.F - that won’t work as I thought of it today when I was there. You have to hammer that pole far into the ground because the pressure it’s taking to support the tree. If I don’t hammer it far down so it’s sturdy, it will just move. I was going to use rope and then the part that wraps around the tree I was going to use a rubber hose to stick the rope through so I didn’t injure the tree with the rope. I’m thinking about just cutting it off in the winter time but I’m not sure. It will prob set the tree back a few years. It bears fruit but I’m just bothered at the way it is. I’ll wait to see what others say.
Natty Bumppo
5 year old buck +
Bob, I get a lot of black bear damage to my apple trees and I do just what you're thinking with the rope to get them growing straight and tall after the bears knock or tilt them over. I use nylon rope and a small piece of old hose to protect the tree. To anchor the rope I use small auger type earth anchors.
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
Having deer or bears pull the tops off of 2 of our 3 pear trees ( they were sagging with fruit ) I can tell you they re-grow upward pretty well. If you want a normal shape to your pear tree, I'd cut the top off ( as Telemark said in post #3 ) and watch this year's new growth pop. Pears put on wood pretty quickly, IME.
idahomeboy
Buck Fawn
Are they ornamental pears, and is it bending because of wind? I would think cutting the top off just below the curve might be the solution. It will send out new shoots that should go straight up, but if the wind is the cause the new shoots would likely bend also.
Can you post a picture?
Can you post a picture?
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
Can you post a pic?
Telemark
5 year old buck +
From what you describe, it probably won't set the tree back. The rest of the tree will get stronger with another annual growth ring, and the new leader should grow straight up, plus encourage new scaffolds below the cut. You should probably be pinching those upper flowers off anyway if the tree can't support fruit there.
4wanderingeyes
5 year old buck +
Would it hurt anything to leave it?
Telemark
5 year old buck +
My understanding is it will affect the growth of the tree. Pears should have a central leader that is higher than all other branches in order to grow optimally.
