Growing a pear in a garden plot, gardeners come to the conclusion that the tree needs to be propagated. All these events can be avoided if you buy a separate seedling, but it is quite expensive. An alternative option arises - getting a fruit tree at home. Is it possible to propagate a pear and how to do it?
Pear propagation methods
You can get a new seedling or several at once in the following ways:
- seed;
- vegetative.
The first method is quite easy. As a rule, problems appear at later stages of tree growth. The yield of pears obtained by this method is very low.
Vegetative method - propagation of pears by branches and cuttings. Vegetative propagation is most popular among professionals and amateur gardeners. Combines ease of use, rapid tree growth and good yield.
In recent years, two more methods of propagation have been widely practiced - air layering and root shoots.
Green cuttings
Today, gardeners no longer wonder whether it is possible to grow pears using a similar method. The technology was initially known exclusively to agronomists working in the field of agriculture. Now this method is actively used by summer residents. People make green branch cuttings and treat them with a mixture to speed up growth.
The best varieties for cuttings
Most Popular:
- Lada;
- Memory of Zhegalov;
- Muscovite;
- Autumn Yakovleva.
Pear varieties are excellent for propagation by cuttings.
How to prepare cuttings
First you need to select suitable instances. First of all, pay attention to the top of the shoot; it should be greenish. The lower part became rough and covered with bark. The branches of the tree begin to become covered with leaves, with the exception of a few upper buds.
When preparing planting material, adhere to the following conditions:
- The cutting of sprouts is carried out early in the morning, before the sun rises. At this time they are filled with moisture.
- Cutting is performed in the direction from bottom to top (towards the bud). The cutting angle is 45°.
- Choose a sharp knife for cutting. If necessary, it is sharpened.The sharper the knife, the easier the tree will tolerate the procedure.
Before cutting the sprout, the knife must be disinfected. Thanks to this, you can avoid the tree becoming infected. The wound that remains on the tree after the cut is treated with clay.
Planting and rooting
Preparing the site in summer and spring is the same. For seedlings, a box with a height of 30-40 cm is selected. The third part of the volume is filled with a nutrient substrate. Then comes the sand, which must be calcined.
Selected cuttings are planted to a depth of 1.5 cm. Excessive immersion causes the development of rotting. In spring, the box is covered with film to create greenhouse conditions. The leaves on the sprouts should not touch the leaves of a neighboring cutting. Direct contact with glass or film is not allowed.
Air layering
Suitable if the pear does not have root shoots. They find a two-year-old branch on a young tree and bend it to the soil, placing a box of soil under it. Using wire or a soft cable, the branch is attached to the box so that part of the bark is in the soil. After some time, the cuttings grow into the ground, forming a root system. When the seedling gets stronger, it can be transplanted from the mother tree. It is easy to grow a pear using air layering. The sprout takes root in its new location without any problems.
Propagation by seeds
You can grow a pear in another way - by planting seeds in the soil. To do this, a person will have to go through the following stages:
- A container with fertile soil is prepared.
- The seeds of the pear variety you like are placed in a box.
- As soon as the emerging seedling grows, it is transplanted into a larger container than the previous one. The procedure is repeated 2 more times.
- After this, the young seedling should be planted in a permanent place.
The selected planting technology has disadvantages. Gardeners who have tried the method note poor seedling growth. A young tree does not bear fruit for a long time. When pears appear on a tree, they differ in taste and shape.
Vegetative propagation
This method involves the use of cuttings, which, after cutting, are grafted onto a fruit tree. With the help of vegetative propagation, the onset of fruiting is accelerated. The harvest that the pear produces has an original taste. But not everything is as simple as it seems. There should be a tree in the garden plot ready for grafting cuttings.
If there is none, you will have to start preparing the basis for grafting. It is possible to get another variety from a branch that has been grafted onto a tree, but it will take a lot of effort.
Reproduction by root shoots
Fruit trees have the peculiarity of forming small shoots from their roots. Seedlings appear at the base of the trunk. Few people know that sprouts can be dug up and transplanted to another place. The seedlings have their own root system and take root well.
This method is good because a person is not required to plant separate sprouts or sow seeds to get a young tree. The mother tree will take care of this itself. All that is required of a person is to dig up a seedling. The young culture grows very quickly. If you provide it with proper care, apply fertilizers and regularly water it, over time it will turn into an adult tree that will produce a full harvest. In the future, this pear will become suitable for reproduction.
Proper care of planted seedlings and cuttings
The person chose the pear propagation method, having completed all stages of the procedure, but the seedling grows poorly or does not develop at all. Gardeners often encounter this situation. There may be several reasons for this phenomenon. The first is the use of low-quality planting material, the second is non-compliance with the rules for caring for a young tree.
Pear is a fastidious plant that needs constant care. Important measures consist of a mass of procedures that form a care complex:
- Watering.
- Elimination of weeds in the tree trunk area.
- Mulching the soil.
- Fertilizer application.
- Treatment against insect pests.
- Regular pruning of branches.
- Preventive measures.
- Treatment of diseases.
- Removal of fallen leaves followed by burning.
- Warming for the winter.
Each procedure is given a time to complete. If you do not neglect the rules and do everything correctly, in 5-8 years the seedling will turn into an adult tree. Fruiting depends on the quality of care.
Spring
As soon as the threat of late frosts has passed, the insulation is removed from the tree. The tree trunk circle is loosened, saturating the soil with fertilizers. It is recommended to trim the branches before the sap begins to flow. The pear needs preventive treatment so that pests and diseases do not affect growth and fruiting ability.
Summer
During the hottest time of the year, watering is at the forefront of care activities. The pear should not need moisture. Watering too frequently leads to rotting of the roots, so it is better to stick to the “golden mean”. To prevent thickening of the crown, branches are pruned.
Autumn
Procedures carried out in the spring are repeated in the autumn. The tree needs sanitary pruning, fertilizing and pest prevention.Whitewashing of the trunk is also added to the care activities. The second half of the last autumn month is an excellent period for preparing a tree for winter.
Regarding watering
In the first year after planting a seedling in a new place, watering is carried out every week. Subsequently, the frequency is reduced to 1 time every 2 weeks. If the summer is particularly hot, the young tree should be watered much more often. After moistening, the soil is loosened, thus ensuring a flow of oxygen to the root system. At the end mulching is carried out. The soil around the pear trunk should not dry out or become crusty.
Conclusion
After planting a pear in a permanent place, it may not show signs of development. If this is observed within 1-1.5 years, the seedling is dug up and another specimen is planted. To obtain a seedling, several shoots are planted at once. Pear is a fruit tree designed for propagation in various ways. Fulfilling the conditions of each method will give a positive result. Soon a person will enjoy ripe, sweet, fragrant and juicy pears.
