How to Shape a Pear Tree

Think twice before you make a cut, as removal of branches is irreversible, cautions the Clemson Cooperative Extension, which suggests you train your trees, rather than pruning them, whenever possible. Use sharp tools for pruning, and prune whole branches by cutting them away at their point of attachment, rather than partway down the branch. Leave the collar of each cut intact; avoid cutting into the flesh of the remaining wood.

Start while your pear trees are young, pruning to train the trees to a balanced form. The Ohio State University Extension suggests a properly pruned tree should appear like the spokes of a wheel when seen from above. Cuts made early are smaller and less potentially damaging. Dwarf trees require pruning only if they are trained to a single leader yet are developing oversized branches -- those one-half to one-third the diameter of the leader.

Prune your trees during the late winter, while they are dormant. Prune away suckers and damaged branches and remove wood where needed to increase exposure to air and sunlight during the summer.

Opt to keep branches that are oriented at an angle of 60 to 75 degrees -- or growing nearly straight out from the tree -- if you must choose between branches, suggests the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension. This keeps the form of your trees open and their crotches strong.

Prune to multiple leaders to provide yourself options should your trees develop fire blight. Head back the leaders by 2 feet each year to promote light penetration by making cuts just beyond a bud or a branch.

Thin to limit the number of lateral branches to five to seven after the first year. Remove branches more than half the diameter of the trunk at their base and cut away branches that protrude at a height less than 22 inches from the ground, recommends the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension.

Eliminate branches that grow facing down, parallel to and in competition with the leader, up through the center of the tree, or in contact with another branch, causing rubbing. Prune to remove wood that is no longer productive on older trees.

Prune to remove diseased branches by cutting a foot behind the diseased area. The Texas A&M University Extension recommends you sterilize your pruning tools in a 10 percent bleach solution between cuts to prevent the spread of disease.