I have recently acquired and installed a pear tree. I've not had fruit
trees before so I'm seeking any advice that will enhance my chances of
getting pears.

It is about 5 or 6 foot high and of similar width and grown more as a fan,
as previously near a fence. Do I put grease bands around the trunk and if
so when? When is it best to prune?


mark

In article ,
says...

I have recently acquired and installed a pear tree. I've not had fruit
trees before so I'm seeking any advice that will enhance my chances of
getting pears.

It is about 5 or 6 foot high and of similar width and grown more as a fan,
as previously near a fence. Do I put grease bands around the trunk and if
so when? When is it best to prune?


mark




I prune out the unwanted annual growth in August from my pears. I have no
idea if thats coorect but it works for me!
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

The message
from "mark" contains these words:

I have recently acquired and installed a pear tree. I've not had fruit
trees before so I'm seeking any advice that will enhance my chances of
getting pears.

It is about 5 or 6 foot high and of similar width and grown more as a fan,
as previously near a fence. Do I put grease bands around the trunk and if
so when? When is it best to prune?

Whereabouts do you live?

Where and in what conditions will you plant it/is it planted?

What are the soil conditions, wind conditions, etc.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

Charlie Pridham wrote:
In article ,
says...

I have recently acquired and installed a pear tree. I've not had fruit
trees before so I'm seeking any advice that will enhance my chances of
getting pears.

It is about 5 or 6 foot high and of similar width and grown more as a fan,
as previously near a fence. Do I put grease bands around the trunk and if
so when? When is it best to prune?

I prune out the unwanted annual growth in August from my pears. I have no
idea if thats coorect but it works for me!

I prune my pears pretty much as I do my apples.

Summer pruning on trained forms (fans, espalier, cordons etc)

and winter pruning on all trees for shape and to encourage growth etc were
necessary.

There is much material on the interweb, and there are demo videos on
youtube.

"Rusty_Hinge" wrote in message
. uk...
The message
from "mark" contains these words:

I have recently acquired and installed a pear tree. I've not had fruit
trees before so I'm seeking any advice that will enhance my chances of
getting pears.

It is about 5 or 6 foot high and of similar width and grown more as a
fan,
as previously near a fence. Do I put grease bands around the trunk and
if
so when? When is it best to prune?

Whereabouts do you live?

Where and in what conditions will you plant it/is it planted?

What are the soil conditions, wind conditions, etc.

--

Norfolk.
Pear tree is planted about two foot from a fence, fairly sheltered I say.
Soil is light.

Thanks

mark

The message
from "mark" contains these words:
"Rusty_Hinge" wrote in message
. uk...
so when? When is it best to prune?

Whereabouts do you live?

Where and in what conditions will you plant it/is it planted?

What are the soil conditions, wind conditions, etc.

Norfolk.

Ah, I know something about Norfolk...

Pear tree is planted about two foot from a fence, fairly sheltered I say.

Well, it'll top the fence pretty soon, but in Norfolk you should have no
problems with getting pears.

Soil is light.

Good. Dig a hole and throw in a lot of bones - most butchers will
provide you with them. Make stock from them first, if you like.

Sling in any old leather and woollens you can lay your hands on (within
reason!), and work in well-rotted compost and ditto manure, both mixed
with spoil from the hole.

You should end up with a fair mound. Plant the tree in this - oh! Just
re-read - 'Pear tree is planted...' Never mind, fork-in lightly as much
bonemeal round it as seems reasonable, and mulch with compost.

Don't build it up the stem though.

I think you'll have to investigate the pruning from books or
well-respected advisors on the web. I generally do things like this by
'instinct', guided by a bit of research, and often do things which have
other gardeners going doo-lally.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

"Rusty_Hinge" wrote in message
. uk...
The message
from "mark" contains these words:
"Rusty_Hinge" wrote in message
. uk...
so when? When is it best to prune?

Whereabouts do you live?

Where and in what conditions will you plant it/is it planted?

What are the soil conditions, wind conditions, etc.

Norfolk.

Ah, I know something about Norfolk...

Pear tree is planted about two foot from a fence, fairly sheltered I say.

Well, it'll top the fence pretty soon, but in Norfolk you should have no
problems with getting pears.

Soil is light.

Good. Dig a hole and throw in a lot of bones - most butchers will
provide you with them. Make stock from them first, if you like.

Sling in any old leather and woollens you can lay your hands on (within
reason!), and work in well-rotted compost and ditto manure, both mixed
with spoil from the hole.

You should end up with a fair mound. Plant the tree in this - oh! Just
re-read - 'Pear tree is planted...' Never mind, fork-in lightly as much
bonemeal round it as seems reasonable, and mulch with compost.

Don't build it up the stem though.

I think you'll have to investigate the pruning from books or
well-respected advisors on the web. I generally do things like this by
'instinct', guided by a bit of research, and often do things which have
other gardeners going doo-lally.

Thanks for that.
I've got a bag of horse poo, 50p worth. I'll get some bonemeal as well.


mark

The message
from "mark" contains these words:

I've got a bag of horse poo, 50p worth. I'll get some bonemeal as well.

If you drive down Bunwell Street towards Attleborough, near the end of
the houses on the left (actually in Carleton Rode) you'll find a short
loke.

There's a box/bench thingy with free horshhhh in tied-up carrier bags.

Sometimes lots, at others, not lots.

However, turn into Wymondham Road and there's someone there who would
probably be pleased to give you as much as you want.

Drop me a wink if you think the journey's worth it (about 25 miles), and
I'll ask Anna if she wants to offload some.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

On 1/2/09 20:48, in article ,
"Rusty_Hinge" wrote:

The message
from "mark" contains these words:
"Rusty_Hinge" wrote in message
. uk...
so when? When is it best to prune?

Whereabouts do you live?

Where and in what conditions will you plant it/is it planted?

What are the soil conditions, wind conditions, etc.

Norfolk.

Ah, I know something about Norfolk...

Pear tree is planted about two foot from a fence, fairly sheltered I say.

Well, it'll top the fence pretty soon, but in Norfolk you should have no
problems with getting pears.

snip

I'm not much up in fruit growing but is it worth mentioning that a young
tree of 5' to 6' is unlikely to need actual pruning just yet? A bit of
light encouragement not to have criss-crossing branches etc. perhaps? Is
that right for something that's such a 'baby'?

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
Perennials & shrubs online

In article you wrote:

I'm not much up in fruit growing but is it worth mentioning that a young
tree of 5' to 6' is unlikely to need actual pruning just yet? A bit of
light encouragement not to have criss-crossing branches etc. perhaps?
Is
that right for something that's such a 'baby'?

Depends. If one wants to grow an espalier or trained fan you would prob
have some serious pruning to do to get the beginnings of the shape you are
aiming for.

What variety is it? If it is not a self-fertile variety, it will greatly increase your yield if you have a suitable pollinator. Conference is a well-known self-fertile variety, and Concorde (Conference x Comice) is partly self fertile, but most other varieties including the popular Comice and Williams are not. Maybe your neighbours have pear trees in which case you'll get away with it.

Grease bands - or cheaper just get a pot of the special grease itself - should be applied first in October to discourage the moth larvae from climbing the tree and again in March. You may wish to maintain it through summer to discourage ants.

Prune in midwinter, but maybe it doesn't need much pruning just now.

Be aware that many kinds of pear will not ripen on the tree, they'll fall off before they ripen. They ripen in storage.