Hi

We planted a Pear Tree about 4 years back. We got fruits the first
year and then nothing for about 3 years and the tree also didn't grow.
We added lime this year and we got alot of fruiton the tree and it got
so heavy that it almost touched the ground. So my question to the
garden experts is...what can I do to make the tree grow and and the
stem to become strong.

I will really appreciate any advice.

Ruchika

Ruchika,

I don't have all that much experience with pear trees, since I've only had
one since 1998 (it was here before, but I moved here in December 1998).

As for not producing fruit: this year, a lot of the blossoms on the tree
were apparently killed off by a late frost. 2 years ago (I think), *all*
the blossoms were killed by a hard freeze on April 18th, after the supposed
"last frost" date; the tree, however, responded by producing lots of growth,
since it had no fruit on which to expend its energy.

If you prune your pear tree, be careful that you don't cut off the "fruiting
spurs" -- they look a little ugly, but they're what will produce the
fruit.

Here's a website at Clemson University dealing with pruning pear (and apple)
trees: http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC1351.htm

Interestingly, this site says that removing excess fruit is essential to get
fruit the next year. I remove the excess fruit because A) I want the
remaining fruit to be bigger, B) I don't want the branches to break because
the fruit is too heavy for the branches, and C) if the branches droop to the
ground, it's impossible to mow near the tree. Here's a quote from the above
website about removing excess fruit:

"Apple and pear trees grown under favorable conditions will set more fruit
than they are capable of carrying to maturity. It is essential to remove
excess fruit from the trees to assure satisfactory development of fruit
remaining on the tree. Failure to remove the excess fruit will decrease
flower formation for the following year and cause the tree to produce a crop
only every other year."

My "mtehod" (I make no claim whatsoever that it's the right thing to do): I
start out by removing "all but one" fruit from each spur, just bending the
fruit stem until it breaks. Then, if the branch seems to be drooping lower,
I may remove fruit from alternating spurs. (Okay, I acknowledge that this
is a lot easier for me, because I'm retired and I have time to examine
everything in the yard every day!)

Although I cut off all the "watersprouts" (new growth that grows straight up
from a branch) a few months ago, I still need to deal with the "suckers"(?)
that grow up from the ground around the tree -- talk about "spurs"! These
suckers have serious thorns 2" long or more! I assume they would eventually
turn into fruiting spurs, but at this stage, they are just really sharp
pointy things. As soon as I get the suckers cut off, I plan to put down
newspapers, then 4-6" of mulch. (Just as soon as I get the energy -- but
that seemed to work well in the rose bed!) Although there are tons of weeds
under the pear tree, 99% lambs' ears or some lookalike, I have avoided using
Roundup weedkiller because I could not be assured that it wouldn't get on a
sucker & get back to the tree itself. (BTW, for what's it's worth, I'm
hoping some day to have things under control so I need not use Roundup, but
it won't happen in 2003......)

Good luck! and keep us posted,

Anne Lurie
NE Raleigh


"Ruchika Goyal" wrote in message
om...
Hi

We planted a Pear Tree about 4 years back. We got fruits the first
year and then nothing for about 3 years and the tree also didn't grow.
We added lime this year and we got alot of fruiton the tree and it got
so heavy that it almost touched the ground. So my question to the
garden experts is...what can I do to make the tree grow and and the
stem to become strong.

I will really appreciate any advice.

Ruchika