Need advice regarding pear trees

[tiggerlover]

We just bought a house and there is a pear tree in the backyard and I was wondering if anyone could provide me with any useful information. How does one care for a pear tree? How long does it produce fruit (I hate picking up the squishy ones). Do I need to cut back the dead limbs? How do you know if the fruit is good to eat? I am totally clueless so any advice would be helpful.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Pears had been easy for us to grow in Yardley PA. Our tree didn't require any spraying and it did produce more pears than we ever needed. A neighbor in Cape May NJ has one, and it too is a heavy producer. The bees like the fruit, this can be a problem. Pick while they are still hard and they ripen off the tree, that's been our experience.

I think you should cut off any dead limbs.

Bobbi

 

[tiggerlover]

Pick while they are still hard and they ripen off the tree, that's been our experience.

I think you should cut off any dead limbs.

Bobbi

Do I only pick the hard ones or can I use the hard ones that fall from the tree?

 

[Mamu]

Congrats on your new home!

Prune all the dead wood from the tree. Most pear trees are great producers.

The one problem BEE's and lots of them. When the pear fruit ripens it produced a sweet smelling fruit the attracts bees. By the hundreds. If pears are allowed to ripen on the tree, then fall from the tree this sweet fallen fruit also produced jucies on the grass. Now you not only have bee in the tree you have lots of bees on the ground too. Even if you pick up the ripen fallen fruit the jucies remain on the grass. This can be a problem if anyone has reactions to bee stings.

This web sight might answer your questions:
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/treefruit/422-017/422-017.html

 

[DebºoºS]

Congratulations on your new home Our pear tree is still very young but does produce without much attention at all.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I don't think there's anything wrong with using the fruit that falls. You really don't want it to stay on the ground. Yellowjackets love pears.

Bobbi

 

[tiggerlover]

Thank you!

 

[pumba]

this year we were so excited ..........three pears......NOW only two......our dalmatian jumped into the air and swiped off the biggest of the three........Now there are only two........she ate it all except the inside stem

 

[DebºoºS]

Very smart dal, she knows when the fruit is ready to be picked.