Comments on: Pruning a Pear Tree

By: Leia

Leia — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:02:16 +0000

This is wonderful! My husband and I are in the process of trying to by an old farmhouse in southern Maine. One of the many things about it that qualifies it for my dream is the presence of a huge old apple tree and two pear trees. The apple tree is in good health, just needs a straight-forward pruning, but the pear trees are really hurting. I only know they are pears because I saw one wizened old fruit hanging from one of them; they look as though they haven’t been touched in decades, with suckers and dead wood all over the place. But your blog is perfect for all I need to know about caring for them, and I thank you heartily. I expect we may be in the house come pruning time and I will keep you posted.

Thanks again,
Leia

By: Administrator

Administrator — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:15:53 +0000

Assuming they’re pear trees, let them ripen longer on the tree to improve flavor.

But also understand climatic and soil conditions can affect fruit flavor. It could just be you’ve had a couple of bad years, or your soil isn’t good for pear flavor. Hard to speculate without knowing more.

But pears taste best when left to ripen on the tree, until they get slightly yellow, and feel soft.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:38:15 +0000

Great Blog!
I have 2 large trees, heavy fruit bearing, med to large fruit. Problem: They have almost no flavor. Any suggestions on how I can improve the taste of the fruit?

By: Administrator

Administrator — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 20:53:20 +0000

You could spray your tree with a pesticide that will kill anything that eats the fruit. But then, of course, make sure you wash the fruit before eating, and don’t spray when bees are pollinating.

If you know it is yellowjackets in particular there are traps you can get that will kill them. Or traps you can make if you have suitable Macgyver skills, check the Internet for plans. They work well, the traps.

Small unripe fruit has no use other than compost. Misshapen or undesireable pears can be turned into cider, jams, or jellies. My blog has a recipe for caramel pear butter.

By: Josh

Josh — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 06:10:12 +0000

Awesome Blog, and major props to the Administrator. Very rarely do you see a blog that gets comments for 4 years and Administrator responds back. I was really excited last year when I purchased my house because it came with a pear tree which I still would like to identify which type it is. I purchased in August and of course it was way to late to do anything with the tree. I had tons of small pears that droped all the time and attracted plenty of yellow jackets. Now as the tree is fruiting this year I am regreting not researching this topic eariler as it sounds like it is again too late to really do anything with the tree. Are the Small pears any good or of any use? Also is there anything I can do to avoid attracting wasps again this year? This is my first fruit tree so I am completely ignorant on the topic, any advice is much appriciated!

By: Indrani

Indrani — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 14:58:11 +0000

Our flowering Pear trees are sending up shoots around them which we want to control. Any suggestions…other than pulling them up by hand?

By: Administrator

Administrator — Sun, 23 May 2010 00:41:28 +0000

Your gardener messed up, or you did in ordering him.

The appropriate time to prune fruit trees is late winter, and topping a tree is rarely a good idea.

Your tree will still fruit next year though, assuming he didn’t take off too much to stress the plant.

By: sunita

sunita — Sun, 23 May 2010 00:04:59 +0000

I got my gardener to prune my pear tree when it had just started to flower and now there is no fruit at all. He took off all of the top branches and it is shaped like an umbrella now. I have had lots of fruit during the three summers that I have lived in the house, although it was not perfectly formed but tasted really good. The leaves have developed holes in them. The house is about 35 years old, I dont know how old the tree is.

By: Patricia Grace

Patricia Grace — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 02:12:49 +0000

I live in Oregon which is where Harry and Davids business is. They top out their trees and prune the trees in an espalier for easy fruit picking. they sell there famous Comice pears world wide. I am pruning my pear tree so that it is shorter so I have less fruit and can better able reach the fruit. We have a lot of moss and dampness here. Any time I get mold or aphids, mildew, moss, beetles I always use a halfand half solution of white vinegar and spray it everywhere. It is the best for aphids on roses and rose black spot and it sure works on my fruit trees as well.

By: Administrator

Administrator — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 02:51:31 +0000

I would ignore that guy, and ask someone else, he sounds like an idiot.

Topping a tree is almost never a good idea, never, and yes, you always prune in Spring just before the tree breaks dormancy.

These two things are both basic and fairly set in stone as far as tree care goes. If he doesn’t know that I wonder what kind of education he has.