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Tend to Pears
Pears are one of the most popular orchard trees worth having on any sizeable plot, both for the delicious fruit they produce and the attractive blossom. May is a good time to make sure that pollination has been successful. If your fruit has not set this season the cold weather could be blamed, frost not helping and pollinating insects are not as active during colder tempertures.
If it is a regular problem it is probably because there is not a suitable pollinating partner in the vacinaty. With the exception of "Conference" which can pollinate itself, all pears need another tree from the same pollination group nearby. This means it will be in flower at the same time and the bees can transfer pollen from one to the other with just a short flight in between. This will cause the fruit to set once it has give the fruit trees roots a generous liquid feed of a high potash fertilser, like tomato feed with added seaweed.
It is also a good idea to be on the lookout for unwanted insects on your trees from May onwards. Pear midge, leaf midge, and leaf blister mite are all common pests of pears, and the only way to keep on top of any potential infestations is to regularly inspect your trees and remove leaves or fruit as soon as you discover a problem.
Pear midge damage is noticeable once the fruit has set, infested fruitlets initially grow faster that healthy ones but latter become stunted and start to shrivel and crack. They eventually turn hard dry and black, and you will notice small maggots inside the fruits. If you do not pick the infected fruits they will fall to the ground and the maggots will burrow into the soil. The maggots will pupate and emerge as midges the following season ready to cause more damage.
Pear leaf midge damage is often mistaken for frost damage. Adults lay eggs on young leaves and the larvae hatch within a few days, then feed on the foilage preventing the leaf margins from unrolling. During these attacks leaves become badly distored, turn red, then blacken and die. Infected foliage should be picked off and burnt.
The leaf blister mite lives inside the leaves where it feeds and reproduces. Raised blisters begin to appear and are initially green, before turning pink and eventually black. The damage is largely cosmetic but if there is a light infection, leaves should be picked off as soon as you notice the symptoms. If attacks are servere the pest will have to be tolerated, do not pick all the leaves as this could cause stress to the tree.
Garden Fruit Trees, Apple Trees, Apricot Trees, Aprium Trees, Cherry Trees, Nectarine Trees, Peach Trees, Pear Trees, Plum Trees, Pluot Trees, Prune Trees
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