If you watered more than once between blooming and about three weeks
ago, you over watered. Tree spikes are nothing more than synthetic,
potentially toxic fertilizer. Immediately, I would pull back any
turf from under the trees and apply a two inch layer of fungal based
compost, topped by another few inches of good mulch. I recommend the
Sylvan Formula over at The Natural Gardener
www.naturalgardeneraustin.com and their Revitilizer compost is both
fungal and bacterial based. Excellent and well worth the money.

Before you place the mulch and compost under the tree, out to the
drip line, take a garden fork and tear at the soil a bit so you can
aerate the soil. At this point, do give it a good, deep watering if
the soil is dry (if the soil is not dry, do not water again) and
place mulch and compost away from the trunk of the tree. You should
see a root flare at the base of the tree. If you don't see a flare,
the trees are planted too deeply. To change that, dig around the
base of the trunk until you do see a flare and do not place anything
up against it.

v

Thank you, that is a very helpful post! I was looking at the base of my
pear tree and wondering if it was normal, but that must be a root flare.

Cindy