“I had a pear tree with pears and then before they were ready, bam, no pears. They all fell to the ground. How can I get them to stay on the tree?” Question from Stephanie of Tylertown, Mississippi
Answer: What a disappointment. There are lots of factors at play when it comes to nurturing a fruit tree to production. Let me simply cover what you can do to keep your pear trees happy, and what factors can potentially lead to fruit drop (information derived from the Pear Production and Handling Manual by Elizabeth J. Mitcham, Rachel B. Elkins (2007)). You can troubleshoot from there.
What Pear Trees Need to Produce Fruit
- Fertile, well-drained soil
- Mild spring weather and good pollination
- Average water
- Proper fertilization with a balanced fertilizer, such as 10-10-10 (follow the manufacturer’s directions)
- Full sun that penetrates into the tree branches
- Balanced crop load (thinning small fruits on loaded branches can encourage fruit set and improve quality.)
Causes for Premature Fruit Drop in Pear Trees
- Temperatures that are too hot (85 degrees F and up) or too cool (55 degrees F or lower)
- High winds and low humidity
- Leaf loss due to pests and disease
- Excessively wet or dry soils
- Heavy crop load
If your trees are missing anything in the “Need” list, or if they experienced any of the negative conditions in the “Premature Fruit Drop” list, the composite caused your trees to lose this year’s fruit. Hopefully, this knowledge will give you what you need to help your trees produce lots of good fruit next year.
Happy Gardening,
Jessie Keith
Black Gold Horticulturist