Too late to fertilise pear trees now?

[JoseyJo]

I have a 3 year old pear tree in the garden and we haven't yet had fruit we can eat from it. First year it flowered but didn't fruit. Last year we bought another tree and both flowered, the older one had fruit, but the leaves went brown and the fruit didn't develop nicely. This year only the older tree flowered, but it has got fruit on it (so maybe another pear tree nearby and the bees found both this year?). The fruit is growing quite well, but leaves beginning to turn brown again. (In between years it has grown well in size.)

I realise that I should probably have been feeding both trees at the start of each spring (novice...) but wondered if it's worth feeding the fruiting one now to encourage the fruit to keep growing well and/or to help with the brown leaves. Or is it a bad idea to feed mid-season?
Any pear expertise greatly appreciated! Jo

[MKG]

Five years is pretty standard waiting time for fruit trees (although you do tend to get the odd few fruit before then). Patience Last year, we got six damsons on our 5-year-old tree. This year it's covered in them. Our pear trees are about 70 years old, so I don't know when they started fruiting - but they're still at it.

Oh - and feeding in mid season is not a good idea, as it will encourage wood growth at the expense of fruiting.

Mike

[Odsox]

Just to confuse ... I have 2 conference pear trees that are 5 years old, both have flowed every spring since the first year I planted them. This year one has it's first (single) fruit on it. I also have a red fruited pear tree that I can't remember the name of offhand, it's in it's 2nd year, it's about 4 feet tall and has 10 fruits on it.

Mike is correct about feeding a tree now, not only because wot he sed, but also because growth on a tree in August/September (which it would be if you dosed it with fertiliser today) would NOT be matured enough to survive the winter. So next spring you would have lots of dead twigs to cut out and the added risk of infection.

I would advise a good dollop of patience.

[JoseyJo]

Ok thanks! I'm not good at patience

[ina]

But can somebody tell me what causes the brown leaves? I have an apple tree (in a container, fruiting) that has a lot of brown leaves...

[Odsox]

Probably apple scab.
Leaves go brown and fall off like autumn, but in the summer instead, cracks appear in fruit and brown scabs as well ?
It's a fungus disease that I have aplenty, caused (in my case) too much damp weather and poor air flow.

[ina]

That sounds about right - thanks!

[ojay54]

Re the brown leaves.
It's always more difficult growing trees in a container,it's really easy to over/under water,but I'm just going to presume that's all OK (though to be honest,that's a classic symptom ).
1)Now,before they brown have you noticed the leaves at the tips have a slight grey mould and become a bit curled? That's Mildew,organic remedy,increase the airflow around them,prune affected wood immediately clear up and burn all matierial you prune,and ALWAYS clean your pruners with disinfectant after use.In organic remedy spray with a copper based fungicide.(After you've pruned,follow the instructions).

2)Have you noticed that there is also some damage to the shoots,like a shrivelling of the bark? This is Canker,and it's a pain.Same remedy as above(Organic and Inorganic)Once again....... HYGIENE!

3) Least likely,but worst case scenario,Fireblight.This will affect ALL your fruit trees spreads like..well fire,you can cut back and spray,but it's a hideous thing,and loves Hawthorn,you'll see it on them first. Anyhow as the OP said there was only one affected tree rule this out.

Basically,looking after apples/pears etc isn't that hard,Prune them(with a guide in one hand a secateurs in the other) carry a small towel in your belt/pocket dipped in Jeyes fluid,and constantly rub your pruners with it.Give them a nice greaseband as a pressie every Autumn,and a good mulching with your best compost every spring(contentious time,I like to remove a 3ft (min) circle around the tree and keep that weed / grass free.).

Err that's it,Good luck!

[Odsox]

,I like to remove a 3ft (min) circle around the tree and keep that weed / grass free.).

Is there a good reason for that OJ ?
I remember years ago when all Kent apple trees were standards, some went over to new orchards with dwarfing rootstock but then found they couldn't mow underneath. A study (I think by West Malling) found that grass under trees produced cleaner fruit, to the amusement of farmers with standard orchards.
I don't know why, or I can't remember why, but it's one of those things that got stuck in my brain somewhere.

[ojay54]

Told ya' it was contentious!! At Pershore,it was 50/50.!

For myself,I just think that if the circle is clear then it's easier to remember to mulch etc.etc, Choose which,it doesn't really matter.

[ina]

Thanks, Ojay, for all that on brown leaves! The trees were never meant to stay in their containers for so long, so they aren't in the best state anyway... And that particular one had been in a stupid place this year (not enough sun and air), so no bloody wonder it went wrong. I'm still hoping to get things sorted some time this year, so I can plant them out at last. If there weren't so many apples on it, I wouldn't bother... But I will keep all you said in mind, and see what I can do to rescue it.

[ojay54]

Good plan Ina.They are (just about) always recoverable.I've got 2 greengages(much more picky than apples/pears) that were planted in a couple of barrels 3 years ago.Since then they have moved 6 miles (and downwards by 600 feet)been replanted in the ground 3X (don't ask)'and best of all been decimated by 4, long lamented, goats.Neither are, as yet,a picture of health and beauty, but there's plenty of gages on them.

[Odsox]

I have one apple tree that has been moved 3 times as well. It was planted in the orchard with the others when I first planted it up, then as it didn't flower, it got dug up and replaced with another one. But as I'm so soft hearted (mean) I couldn't chuck it, so I replanted in another part of the garden, which a couple of years later turned out to be where my 2nd polytunnel needed to go. Now it's in the chicken run, almost in the hedge and looking very healthy and loaded with fruit.

[Green Aura]

Well, it sounds like we might have buggered up the planting of our new fruit trees then. They only arrived in this last month and were potted up with a healthy handful of BF&B, epsom salts and some seaweed, rock dust, worm casts and EM combo that I found on fleabay and rather liked the sound of.

In our defence, when we ordered them we thought they were going to arrive in the autumn, not the following week.

I hope they won't harmed by our tlc!

[JoseyJo]

Could under-watering be the cause of brown leaf in a tree grown in the ground (3 yrs old)? I must admit I'm not very good at watering it, and the ground does seem very dry around it....