Several years back, I picked up a Pear tree to replace one that my folks had
cut down many more years back. I planted him and he's growing decent, but
he's yet to fruit and he's been in the ground a good 6 years now. The tree
does not flower either.

This was my first foray into a fruit bearing tree and I know it takes a few
years to get fruit, but 6 years seems long enough. I'm starting to think I
may have a non-fruit bearing variety (in spite of what the tag said).

SO, I'd like to ID the variety to confirm whether it is a fruiting or
non-fruiting type. I can take photos to post in the binaries group but
wanted to touch base here first to see what in particular I need to focus on
in the pics so we can definitively ID it.

Suggestions?

James

yeah, well non fruiting kinds flower at least. they DO take a long time to come into
bearing unless they are on dwarf rootstock. get a good orchard book it will tell you
tricks to get it to come into production. whatever you do, dont prune in spring.
they get fire blight too easily. Ingrid

"JNJ" wrote:

Several years back, I picked up a Pear tree to replace one that my folks had
cut down many more years back. I planted him and he's growing decent, but
he's yet to fruit and he's been in the ground a good 6 years now. The tree
does not flower either.

This was my first foray into a fruit bearing tree and I know it takes a few
years to get fruit, but 6 years seems long enough. I'm starting to think I
may have a non-fruit bearing variety (in spite of what the tag said).

SO, I'd like to ID the variety to confirm whether it is a fruiting or
non-fruiting type. I can take photos to post in the binaries group but
wanted to touch base here first to see what in particular I need to focus on
in the pics so we can definitively ID it.

Suggestions?

James




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

Have you had your soil tested? When I lived in Arkansas, the man who did
the gardening show on TV always said to use a "Super Phosphate" to get
trees/plants to flower and fruit. He always recommended one that was at
least 0 - 46 - 0. You might want to try that this year. I think he
recommended putting it on in early spring.

Dwayne

"JNJ" wrote in message
...
Several years back, I picked up a Pear tree to replace one that my folks
had
cut down many more years back. I planted him and he's growing decent, but
he's yet to fruit and he's been in the ground a good 6 years now. The
tree
does not flower either.

This was my first foray into a fruit bearing tree and I know it takes a
few
years to get fruit, but 6 years seems long enough. I'm starting to think
I
may have a non-fruit bearing variety (in spite of what the tag said).

SO, I'd like to ID the variety to confirm whether it is a fruiting or
non-fruiting type. I can take photos to post in the binaries group but
wanted to touch base here first to see what in particular I need to focus
on
in the pics so we can definitively ID it.

Suggestions?

James

"JNJ" wrote in message
...
Several years back, I picked up a Pear tree to replace one that my folks
had
cut down many more years back. I planted him and he's growing decent, but
he's yet to fruit and he's been in the ground a good 6 years now. The
tree
does not flower either.

This was my first foray into a fruit bearing tree and I know it takes a
few
years to get fruit, but 6 years seems long enough. I'm starting to think
I
may have a non-fruit bearing variety (in spite of what the tag said).

SO, I'd like to ID the variety to confirm whether it is a fruiting or
non-fruiting type. I can take photos to post in the binaries group but
wanted to touch base here first to see what in particular I need to focus
on
in the pics so we can definitively ID it.

Suggestions?

James

You don't mention where you are located. Most pears have a chill
requirement of 600- 900 hours. In a very mild climate like So Cal, a high
chill pear might not set flowers at all. An early blooming variety could be
damaged by a late frost in a very cold winter area. There's no way to know
the variety from pictures, sorry to tell you. Do be sure to go out and
inspect the tree closely. Make sure that the growth is coming from above the
graft and not below. Think I'd replace the tree or have it topworked if it
doesn't bloom this spring . Six years should be long enough to see a flower.
Incidentally, most pears require pollinizers but that won't help till yours
is flowering. Local nurseries and a little research could get you a couple
of good varieties that will set fruit in your location. Do you remember what
the tag said?

elizabeth, Baton Rouge, LA

Do you remember what the tag said?

Nope -- that's a LONG time ago in gardening years.

I hate to take it out, but it's in a prime tree spot in the yard and if it
ain't gonna at least flower....

James

Has anybody heard of this, taking and hitting a tree with a baseball bat or
stick to shock the tree into blooming. My cousin has done it with his apple
trees and he says it works. My mom says she has also done this. Anyone ever
heard of this?


Marty

JNJ wrote:

Do you remember what the tag said?

Nope -- that's a LONG time ago in gardening years.

I hate to take it out, but it's in a prime tree spot in the yard and if it
ain't gonna at least flower....

James

--
Martin C. Jensen
1AESS Customer Support
Voice: 630-224-6841
FAX: 630-505-3217

Has anybody heard of this, taking and hitting a tree with a baseball bat
or
stick to shock the tree into blooming. My cousin has done it with his
apple
trees and he says it works. My mom says she has also done this. Anyone
ever
heard of this?

They were just talking about that on a segment on DIY the other day as well.
The idea is that the impacts (not too hard) convince the tree it is
threatened. When a tree feels its survival is threatened it typically
produces fruits/seeds. I have to admit, when I first saw the segment I
laughed -- the host first says that you have to threaten a tree then says...
"To do this, get a wood baseball bat...." then he proceeds to swack the tree
4 times. I suppose the theory is sound, although anyone who knows what
you're doing will probably look at you funny. :P

James

The idea is that the impacts (not too hard) convince the tree it is
threatened. When a tree feels its survival is threatened it typically
produces fruits/seeds.

Hey - finally a way to tell if all the people talking to their plants are nuts
or not - scream at your tree "Bloom, you sonofabitch, or you're coming down!",
while revving up your running chainsaw near it.

Only problem I can see is that to be properly scientific, you need a control
nearby that you DON'T make threatening noises at, which means you are going to
need a heck of a big pair of earmuffs for the control tree.........

probably crushes some of the cambian (??) tissue and stops movement of something up
or down the tree, sorta like being gnawed around the perimeter and that is what sets
the tree to blooming and setting. Ingrid

"JNJ" wrote:

Has anybody heard of this, taking and hitting a tree with a baseball bat
or
stick to shock the tree into blooming. My cousin has done it with his
apple
trees and he says it works. My mom says she has also done this. Anyone
ever
heard of this?

They were just talking about that on a segment on DIY the other day as well.
The idea is that the impacts (not too hard) convince the tree it is
threatened. When a tree feels its survival is threatened it typically
produces fruits/seeds. I have to admit, when I first saw the segment I
laughed -- the host first says that you have to threaten a tree then says...
"To do this, get a wood baseball bat...." then he proceeds to swack the tree
4 times. I suppose the theory is sound, although anyone who knows what
you're doing will probably look at you funny. :P

James




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

"JNJ" wrote in message ...
Has anybody heard of this, taking and hitting a tree with a baseball bat
or
stick to shock the tree into blooming. My cousin has done it with his
apple
trees and he says it works. My mom says she has also done this. Anyone
ever
heard of this?

They were just talking about that on a segment on DIY the other day as well.
The idea is that the impacts (not too hard) convince the tree it is
threatened. When a tree feels its survival is threatened it typically
produces fruits/seeds. I have to admit, when I first saw the segment I
laughed -- the host first says that you have to threaten a tree then says...
"To do this, get a wood baseball bat...." then he proceeds to swack the tree
4 times. I suppose the theory is sound, although anyone who knows what
you're doing will probably look at you funny. :P

James

I tend to do that with my pear trees. "This summer you will produce
lotsa pears, capiche?" and snap a sucker for emphasis. or I leave a
dead fish at their feet. Works every season. I also give them a lot of
wood chips, and it is cold in the winter in Michigan.