Need some help 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.

 

[SherryNC]

Have you posted this on the flower & garden forum?

 

[Sparx]

are you sure that it produces? It might not be producing. Bradford pears pretty much care for themselves.

 

[tiggerlover]

Have you posted this on the flower & garden forum?

Nope, just thought of it and thought it would get more hits over here. Will look for that forum and see. Thanks.

are you sure that it produces? It might not be producing. Bradford pears pretty much care for themselves.

Yep, it is producing, we have a tree full of pears and pears on the ground every day.

 

[cynsaun]

Is there a partridge in it?

 

[Sparx]

Yep, it is producing, we have a tree full of pears and pears on the ground every day.

Well, Not sure how long they take to get ripe, but good luck with them.

 

[tiggerlover]

Is there a partridge in it?

LOL....didn't see any partridges, but have seen two birds nests.

 

[mcnuss]

Maybe those are the turtle doves?

Check this site for some answers: http://greenwoodnursery.com/page.cfm/5781

I googled "pear tree care" to find it and there were others.

In Virginia, I'd guess the pears will be ripe soon. Up here in NH, depending on the variety, our orchards will carry local ones starting in mid-September.

My MIL had a pear tree and my DH has nightmares about it to this day. Unless you take it out, there will always be dropped pears which ferment and attract bees. He and his brother were in charge of cleaning up the rotten bee infested fruit which to put it mildly, smelled putrid, kind of like bad cider vinegar. She loved that tree though, and it was still in her yard on the day she died. Had my FIL lived long enough after her passing, I suspect he'd have taken a hatchet to it himself!

Good luck with it.