Comments on: Pear Tree Down

By: Keefer

Keefer — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 20:03:34 +0000

Even though I thin the fruit and use poles to support the branches my trees still lose a branch or two every year from their heavy load. I suspect that I remove more fruits than I leave. I cull them over time, concentrating on the pears that are blemished or stung or crowding out other pears.
And for the record…
I have seen a groundhog in a tree.
My dog was across the field in the tree line barking up a storm one day. When I went out to get him I saw that he had treed a groundhog. I don’t know if he chased it up the tree or looked up and saw it but I’m pretty sure that groundhog climbed that tree.
However, I don’t think a groundhog would be smart enough to seek out the ripest fruit at the top of your pear tree. He would be too distracted with the drops on the ground or at the very best, settle for the first fruit he encountered on his climb.
Of course it’s all a guess.

By: randall

randall — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 14:53:50 +0000

I don’t thank it was the ground hog,i dont think they climb tree’s or ive never seen one in a tree.and i have lots of them around here to.Im shure your tree will be better than ever with time.

By: Andrea VanderWoude

Andrea VanderWoude — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 05:48:23 +0000

Bradford pear (an ornamental pear variety) used to be planted in parking lot islands because of the beautiful flower display. The trees have weak crotches, naturally (because of the angle at which they come from the trunk, as one writer mentioned), and started to break off and fall on the cars in the parking lots. Though I doubt you have a Bradford pear (they are only really ornamental), It is possible your tree may have had the same problem…it runs in the family.

To Roz: Just clean up the break, so it is not so rough, don’t seal it. It used to be recommended that wounds on trees be sealed, but they have found that that is bad advice. The tree itself has defense cells (like our own white blood cells) that clot together just under the wound to seal the area off to disease and pests. The area will naturally form bark around itself in time. Wounds that are sealed form a gap in the wood between the wood and the bark that is growing over it which leads to cavities, rot and canker, as well as slow down the rate at which the bark grows back over the wound. You are better off just letting nature and time heal the tree!

Blessings,

By: Administrator

Administrator — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 20:38:05 +0000

I would clean up any partially broken branches, they apply tree pruning sealer (spray can of black stuff) to the exposed bits.

The tree should survive. So long as the bark loss isn’t all the way around (all the way down is less a problem than all the way around).

By: roz payne

roz payne — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:48:36 +0000

I just lost a very heavy branch w/ about 50 pears on it . the branch tore off at the bark of the tree, about 6 inches of the trunk tore.
I want to know what i should do about the trunk where it is torn to save the tree. There are about 300 green pearson the other branches. should i leave the trunk alone, paint it with white latex paint, try to clean up the rough wound. The tear does not go around the trunk but ony about 6 inches on a good size trunk
any help would be useful thanks Roz Payne

By: jeff-nhn

jeff-nhn — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:21:11 +0000

I hope your not so pleasant experience and picture sink in to all the backyard fruit growers. You are 100% correct; the weight of the fruit broke that limb. When growing fruit you either have two options, brace the branches or thin the fruit before the weight starts breaking limbs.

By: Administrator

Administrator — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:36:58 +0000

Oh… the tree is still up, and big, just a little shorter now. I’m keeping it up. It’ll recover eventually.

By: Shady Gardener

Shady Gardener — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 03:27:01 +0000

What a sad time you must have had. Did it have THAT many pears? Will you replace it? (That was a Big Tree!)