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Pear Tree Question
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 |
#2
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Pear Tree Question
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 |
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