Short answer: Leave it alone this year, and decide how high to start your vase then. I'll leave the authoritative response for others, but that's what I would do if I didn't want a central leader.

But I don't understand your point about space limitations. I kept my one pear, a Gold Spice on OHx333, to a CL precisely because I didn't have room to let a vase spread out. I limit it to 12' by pruning its top every year, so it doesn't get too tall.

Good luck,

Mark

Mark, thank you for answer. I was thinking that waiting was better but I have been surprised at the amount of growth this year.

I should have been clearer on my pruning goals. I want to avoid using a ladder as much as possible and I want to crowd in as many different varieties as possible. I've even thought of using espalier but prefer the look of an orchard with compact trees. A truly dwarfing, FB resistant, rootstock for pears would be nice.

Open center will definitely help you from needing a ladder....

Its best to prune in late winter early spring - depending on weather. Do so just before or as the buds start to swell, this means the trees can repair themselves faster.

Be forewarned - Im not saying pears cant be trained in such a way, ive seen many examples on line. Just that pears tend to grow rather column like, so you may need to use spreaders as well as pruning...

I would lop the top off *immediately* at the height where you want the first main scaffolds to appear. If you don't, then you've just wasted a whole 'nother season, IMHO. Don't worry, you won't kill the tree. Within another month or so, several volunteer "new leaders" will pop out of the main whip. Keep 3 or 4 of them that are spread out in 3 or 4 different directions as your new vase-shape leaders, and remove all others. Keep these 3 or 4 as horizontal as possible for the first year. In future years, you can let them grow vertical but always keep the side branches horizontal. Imagine you are at war with this tree. You will be in a constant need to tie down or otherwise spread the branches by brute force because pears grow extremely vertically. If you ever want fruit, the branches need to be held down in some fashion. The 3 or 4 main leaders need to be kept well spread to form the main vase shape. The first season is most important of all, and maybe the second season as well. After that, just remove branches that grow into the center, and force all other branches down towards horizontal. Get the picture? You're basically at war if you want a vase shape out of a pear.