What’s happening to my pear tree ?

Posts

• Slow-worm Posts: 1,630

  June 2023 edited June 2023

  Looks like blackfly. It shouldn't affect fruit production.
  My cherry tree is covered in them this year, I didn't notice much at first, but they've really done a number on it now. There's plenty of fruit to ripen though.
  Last winter/this spring's odd weather has made a lot of changes..
  If your tree is small enough, you can spray (regularly) with dilute washing up liquid and/or boiled garlic water, or peppermint oil in water,  and put cinnamon powder around the base to deter the ants which farm the aphids. If it's a big tree there's not much you can do, but it'll recover.
  On the plus side, the bees seem to love the aphids' sweet sap.

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• johncleme65 Posts: 93

  June 2023

  many many thanks will do
  the odd thing is, the tree always bears fruit but it’s always so hard, I believe it’s a conference pear, but they are never juicy and moist to eat, a pity

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• Pete.8 Posts: 11,340

  June 2023

  It's not easy to tell when they're ready to eat.
  Pick them when they snap off the tree when you lift one almost to vertical - that means they're ready to pick.
  Keep them indoors for a few days at room temp out of sunlight.
  Hold pear in the palm of your hand and press gently with your thumb just under the stalk. If you can feel a bit of 'give' then it's ready to eat.
  Don't delay - after a few days later they'll start rotting from the inside.

  
  Billericay - Essex
  
  Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
  Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

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• johncleme65 Posts: 93

  June 2023

  many thanks Pete, much appreciated info

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