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Pruning A Pear Tree #923337

Asked January 05, 2026, 3:23 PM EST

I think my pear tree needs pruning. It's 2 years old. I'm unsure where to cut. It seems to have a central leader, should I cut the other two vertical branches? So just the center one remains?

Hennepin County Minnesota

Expert Response

HI Phyllis,

This page will give you the information you’re looking for.

https://extension.umn.edu/fruit/growing-pears

Thanks!

MJ Replied January 05, 2026, 5:56 PM EST

Our mission is to help Cooperative Extension generate a more visible, measurable, local act. We achieve this through our nationally funded programs made possible by member dollars and cooperative agreements with federal agencies, and through partnering on state, regional, and national initiatives with Cooperative Extension and the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP). We serve all Land Grant Universities, regardless of membership status.

This work is supported in part by New Technologies for Ag Extension grant no. 2020-41595-30123 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Pruning A Pear Tree #923337

Expert Response

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