Pear Tree - how to straighten

steveTu · October 2021

I have a pear tree that has been in the ground for years. Over the past few years it has started to lean more and more (it could never have been vertical) and is now between 20-30 degrees. Is there a sensible way to get it back to vertical? I had thought about digging it up and replanting, but it is a fair size (15ft?) - so I was going to prune it back hard - even to the effect of pollarding it - before trying to re-seat it. Is that sensible?

StephenSouthwest · October 2021

I'd be tempted to prop or guy it in the direction you want it to go, but be careful not to damage the bark

Doghouse Riley · October 2021

I've had success in straightening this sorbus. It still has a bend in the trunk but not as pronounced. A few years ago it was leaning much more to the left and the lower branch was going to hit the sorin on top of the pagoda.

So i wrapped a bit of pond liner around the trunk about five feet from the ground as protection and tied a bit of plastic close line around it and then connected it to an "eye" screwed to one of the concrete fence posts behind the bamboo. Then put the line under a bit of tension, pulling the trunk in the direction I wanted it to grow. Leaving it for a few months, then tightening it a bit more, then doing it again, but only a couple of inches at a time.

After three years I was able to take the line away it didn't "spring back" and the tree has stayed in this position since. It still has a slight kink in the trunk but I was never going to be able to correct that.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6030279/uploads/editor/uo/ysrqwds76zmb.jpg

steveTu · October 2021

Thanks both. I'm not sure I've got an anchor point in the right position to be able to try to straighten it up.

Pear Tree - how to straighten

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