Hi, I have a established pear tree (unknown on the type) in my garden. Problem is i never get an good pears from it. They never look too good and nearly always have maggots in them!

I would like to have a tree where i could simply pull a pear off and eat there and then I've attached some photos. I think it may be a sick tree?

Any help would be great.

Here are the photos:
http://f.cl.ly/items/0v3K011v1p1D2V2G3E0N/photo%201.JPG
http://f.cl.ly/items/2H420X3q1Z0P3e3Q3J40/photo%202.JPG
http://f.cl.ly/items/050i1A1c1P433j2P3F18/photo%203.JPG
http://f.cl.ly/items/3r2k1O2Q0u0X0n0y381v/photo%204.JPG
http://f.cl.ly/items/3K3Z400N1c3Y0H2U0a2W/photo%205.JPG

"Gadge" wrote in message
...

Hi, I have a established pear tree (unknown on the type) in my garden.
Problem is i never get an good pears from it. They never look too good
and nearly always have maggots in them!

I would like to have a tree where i could simply pull a pear off and eat
there and then I've attached some photos. I think it may be a sick
tree?

Any help would be great.

Here are the photos:
http://tinyurl.com/3qkqkbj
http://tinyurl.com/4x92qh3
http://tinyurl.com/3wruvek
http://tinyurl.com/3pxouzp
http://tinyurl.com/3hvatap




--
Gadge

First thing that struck me was how good the fruit looked!
Two problems, pear midge and pear scab, you can grow resistant varieties but
the crop you have now is probably as good as you are going to get without
spraying. and the pear scab affecting the leaves does not seem to have
infected the fruit (which it often does here causing deep cracks and
rendering them inedible) the small maggots inside the fruit could be pear
midge but that normally makes the fruit drop before its mature, if its one
of the sawflies you may find grease banding the trees in winter is all
that's needed and there are pheromone traps for some pest as well.

I am not sure these days what is allowed in terms of winter tar oil washes
but the idea of a damn good clean up of fallen leaves etc can make a big
difference to the amount of scab as can the weather. I am afraid we do
nothing on the grounds that 10% of perfect fruit is more than we can eat
anyway!


--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
Holders of National Collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cvs
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk

Gadge wrote in news:Gadge.8c133d6
@gardenbanter.co.uk:


Hi, I have a established pear tree (unknown on the type) in my garden.
Problem is i never get an good pears from it. They never look too good
and nearly always have maggots in them!

I would like to have a tree where i could simply pull a pear off and eat
there and then I've attached some photos. I think it may be a sick
tree?

Any help would be great.

Here are the photos:
http://tinyurl.com/3qkqkbj
http://tinyurl.com/4x92qh3
http://tinyurl.com/3wruvek
http://tinyurl.com/3pxouzp
http://tinyurl.com/3hvatap





I think it is a Conference pear.

I have a mature one which was in the garden when I bought the house.

Mine looks just like yours with all the green cankery stuff on the
branches, and spot on the leaves.

It is neccessary to remove any pears which touch each other because that is
where the pesky grubs eggs are laid. You need a single pear per truss. Take
off up to 2/3 or 66% of pears on the entire tree if it is laden with them.

I don't think you can just pick and eat, well at least I have never been
able to. I have found that just when turning a yellowy colour to pick them
and keep for a week or 2 until they are soft enough to eat.

You need to prune it when the tree is dormant, and would advise you to
google this to get a firm understanding. Pruning correctly will promote
sturdy fruit growth.

True it looks a sick tree, but mine is the same, as I said, and always has
been since we moved here. We always get nice enough pears with a bit of
effort.

Hope this helps.
Baz

On Aug 17, 2:16*pm, Baz wrote:
Gadge wrote in news:Gadge.8c133d6
@gardenbanter.co.uk:







Hi, I have a established pear tree (unknown on the type) in my garden.
Problem is i never get an good pears from it. They never look too good
and nearly always have maggots in them!

I would like to have a tree where i could simply pull a pear off and eat
there and then I've attached some photos. I think it may be a sick
tree?

Any help would be great.

Here are the photos:
http://tinyurl.com/3qkqkbj
http://tinyurl.com/4x92qh3
http://tinyurl.com/3wruvek
http://tinyurl.com/3pxouzp
http://tinyurl.com/3hvatap

I think it is a Conference pear.

I have a mature one which was in the garden when I bought the house.

Mine looks just like yours with all the green cankery stuff on the
branches, and spot on the leaves.

It is neccessary to remove any pears which touch each other because that is
where the pesky grubs eggs are laid. You need a single pear per truss. Take
off up to 2/3 or 66% of pears on the entire tree if it is laden with them..

I don't think you can just pick and eat, well at least I have never been
able to. I have found that just when turning a yellowy colour to pick them
and keep for a week or 2 until they are soft enough to eat.

You need to prune it when the tree is dormant, and would advise you to
google this to get a firm understanding. Pruning correctly will promote
sturdy fruit growth.

True it looks a sick tree, but mine is the same, as I said, and always has
been since we moved here. We always get nice enough pears with a bit of
effort.

Hope this helps.
Baz- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I would be carefull about pruning, if you cut to hard then you could
end up with a lot of new growth and no fruit.
First thing to do in the winter, when the tree is dormant is to cut
out any dead and dammaged wood, remove ant branches /twigs that are
touching.
It looks to me as if it wants a bit more air flowing through it.
Softly, softly catchie monkey.

On 18/08/2011 09:28, Dave Hill wrote:
On Aug 17, 2:16 pm, wrote:
wrote in news:Gadge.8c133d6
@gardenbanter.co.uk:

Hi, I have a established pear tree (unknown on the type) in my garden.
Problem is i never get an good pears from it. They never look too good
and nearly always have maggots in them!

I would like to have a tree where i could simply pull a pear off and eat
there and then I've attached some photos. I think it may be a sick
tree?

Any help would be great.

Here are the photos:
http://tinyurl.com/3qkqkbj
http://tinyurl.com/4x92qh3
http://tinyurl.com/3wruvek
http://tinyurl.com/3pxouzp
http://tinyurl.com/3hvatap

I think it is a Conference pear.

I have a mature one which was in the garden when I bought the house.

Mine looks just like yours with all the green cankery stuff on the
branches, and spot on the leaves.

The green cankery stuff is lichen and it is doing the tree no harm at
all. Just means you have fairly clean air.

It is neccessary to remove any pears which touch each other because that is
where the pesky grubs eggs are laid. You need a single pear per truss. Take
off up to 2/3 or 66% of pears on the entire tree if it is laden with them.

I don't think you can just pick and eat, well at least I have never been
able to. I have found that just when turning a yellowy colour to pick them
and keep for a week or 2 until they are soft enough to eat.

You need to prune it when the tree is dormant, and would advise you to
google this to get a firm understanding. Pruning correctly will promote
sturdy fruit growth.

True it looks a sick tree, but mine is the same, as I said, and always has
been since we moved here. We always get nice enough pears with a bit of
effort.

I would be carefull about pruning, if you cut to hard then you could
end up with a lot of new growth and no fruit.
First thing to do in the winter, when the tree is dormant is to cut
out any dead and dammaged wood, remove ant branches /twigs that are
touching.

I agree. Cut out any crossing or diseased branches to improve the
airflow. Aiming for the classic goblet shape over 2-3 years of pruning.
The trees always fight back against being pruned and if you prune too
heavily you get lots of sappy growth and no fruit.

RHS do a good book on pruning with helpful illustrations.

It looks to me as if it wants a bit more air flowing through it.
Softly, softly catchie monkey.

I can't think of any fungicides still licensed for amateur use that
would really do any good against scab. Might be worth a single
application of cheshunt compound or Bordeaux mixture as spray early in
the season. I don't think it will do much good, but it might help (as
will tidying up all the leaves off the ground and adding grease bands
during winter and/or pheromone traps during the spring and summer).

I have gone off winter tar oil washes I think they do more harm than
good unless the tree is badly afflicted with woolly aphid. Even then a
stiff brush dipped in meths is more effective at seeing them off.

Regards,
Martin Brown

Thanks for the replies!

I will do what you recommend, taking off some of the pears, pruning in the winter branches that touch each other and improve the air flow.

Next thing is the grease bad. I did make one up a few years ago but not sure if it done the trick, basically i wrapped denso tape around the trunk and applied grease to it. Is that good enough?

Gadge wrote in news:Gadge.8c32e16
@gardenbanter.co.uk:


Thanks for the replies!

I will do what you recommend, taking off some of the pears, pruning in
the winter branches that touch each other and improve the air flow.

Next thing is the grease bad. I did make one up a few years ago but not
sure if it done the trick, basically i wrapped denso tape around the
trunk and applied grease to it. Is that good enough?




Gadge,

THE most important thing is to take off one of a pair or trio of pears
which touch eachother. One pear on it's own. You will not look back.

If you were a grower intending to have a saleable crop then a grease band
would be needed. You have a tree which you need some pears off for your
family (and the pears won't keep for long)so you don't need one.

THE second most important as has been suggested in autumn is to get those
leaves and bad looking droppers collected up and in the compost heap. The
bad looking droppers will have what looks like white or creamy looking
spores on them and these pears can stay on the tree even after the
strongest winds. Knock them off with the clothes prop and get them in the
compost too.

THE third is pruning as has been suggested is to take out touching
branches, and also any of this years growth which go directly upwards.

You can't be too clumsy with this as you need quality not quantity, get rid
of anything you don't like the look of. Lop(or Pollard not quite right but
adequate terminology) it at the top if needed to keep the tree at a
managable height and keep on pruning until you die. The tree will live on.

Baz

Baz wrote in :

Gadge wrote in news:Gadge.8c32e16
@gardenbanter.co.uk:


Thanks for the replies!

I will do what you recommend, taking off some of the pears, pruning
in the winter branches that touch each other and improve the air
flow.

Next thing is the grease bad. I did make one up a few years ago but
not sure if it done the trick, basically i wrapped denso tape around
the trunk and applied grease to it. Is that good enough?




Gadge,

THE most important thing is to take off one of a pair or trio of pears
which touch eachother. One pear on it's own. You will not look back.

If you were a grower intending to have a saleable crop then a grease
band would be needed. You have a tree which you need some pears off
for your family (and the pears won't keep for long)so you don't need
one.

THE second most important as has been suggested in autumn is to get
those leaves and bad looking droppers collected up and in the compost
heap. The bad looking droppers will have what looks like white or
creamy looking spores on them and these pears can stay on the tree
even after the strongest winds. Knock them off with the clothes prop
and get them in the compost too.

THE third is pruning as has been suggested is to take out touching
branches, and also any of this years growth which go directly upwards.

You can't be too clumsy with this as you need quality not quantity,
get rid of anything you don't like the look of. Lop(or Pollard not
quite right but adequate terminology) it at the top if needed to keep
the tree at a managable height and keep on pruning until you die. The
tree will live on.

Baz


I have taken some pears off of mine today. We can maybe eat them by the
weekend. They look super.

Baz