How to prune doyenné du comice pear

Late winter while dormant — December to February (UK) or January to March (US). Shorten new lateral growth by half to two-thirds to an outward bud each winter. Remove dead, diseased, or crossing wood, and thin congested spur systems every 2–3 years back to 2–3 buds per cluster.

Annually. Doyenné du Comice pear is a vigorous, spur-bearing variety that benefits from annual winter pruning to control size, open the canopy to light, and maintain fruiting spur quality. Without pruning, it becomes dense and yields heavy but poorly coloured fruit. Train to a central-leader or espalier form for best results.

Shorten new lateral growth by half to two-thirds to an outward bud each winter. Remove dead, diseased, or crossing wood, and thin congested spur systems every 2–3 years back to 2–3 buds per cluster.