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pears...pears and more pears
- Thread starter huntall
- Start date
Turkey Creek
5 year old buck +
Depends on the growth of the tree. If the tree is young and not putting on several inches of new growth every year then it probably needs a little. Over fertilizing can be worse than not fertilizing. Too much fertilizer puts the tree into a vegetative growth state where fruit production is delayed and increases the risk of fire blight on FB prone trees.
Gotcha! I have several (9) Keiffer pears. They range from 12-20 ft. Production varies and I was wondering if fertilizing might be the key. They are growing well, but my soil is poor. soil test shows 5.3 ph 0-60-0 fert recommendations.
Turkey Creek
5 year old buck +
From your description looks like you need some phosphorus! With that much height they dont need any nitrogen. Your low pH is tying up your phosphorus a bit. If you apply some lime to help raise your pH that will be helpful as well. Since I dont have to use lime here maybe somebody else can give you a lime application rate. Pears typically are in that 5-6 year old range before they start blooming much.
Pears were the first of my tree plantings about 7 years ago and last year was the first really good crop. So good that it broke substantial numbers of limbs off the trees. This year I have very few. Don't know if it was stress from the broke limbs or the fact that I did fertilize them last spring. Either way very little fruit this year.
I have 2 Kieffers, 4 Orientals and five of my more recent additions in this orchard. The five new trees are all late dropping and the most FB resistant types I could find.
This orchard is only about 200 yds away from the first. I have used this as a food plot and it has gotten regular lime and fertilizer when planting fall plots. Its hard to see but the trees in this plot are easily 3 to 4 times the size of those in the first pic. Lousy photo but the pears are in the right side of the photo. I have a couple of holes in the center to fill in this year as the last of my attempt to grow apples died last year.
I have 2 Kieffers, 4 Orientals and five of my more recent additions in this orchard. The five new trees are all late dropping and the most FB resistant types I could find.
This orchard is only about 200 yds away from the first. I have used this as a food plot and it has gotten regular lime and fertilizer when planting fall plots. Its hard to see but the trees in this plot are easily 3 to 4 times the size of those in the first pic. Lousy photo but the pears are in the right side of the photo. I have a couple of holes in the center to fill in this year as the last of my attempt to grow apples died last year.
buckvelvet
5 year old buck +
Brad looks good man!
That good to hear, my soil is pretty bad! hahah.... Maybe I will try to lime and hold off of the fert. Thank you.
buckvelvet
5 year old buck +
Those are some loaded pear trees!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Tree Spud
5 year old buck +
I have they same question, they are shown to be good up to zone 4.
silver_yummies
5 year old buck +
So it looks like pear trees are more of an upright grower vs spread outward like an apple. I have 5 pears to plant this spring and looks like I can space them closer together on ohxf 97/87 vs the B118 apples. Correct assumption?
Turkey Creek
5 year old buck +
chickenlittle
5 year old buck +
I have a dozen pear rootstock on order that i will plant and graft later. I was going to order later ripening varieties from the USDA GRIN and bud in late summer. But it looks like GRIN are not doing pear budwood now. I thought they did. Their website says they will start taking orders for dormant scionwood in September. So I guess I'll field graft then next spring.
