This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.
Feeding a pear tree
LavenderLouise
Posts: 19
in Fruit & veg
I know that you are supposed to mulch fruit trees, but one of mine is boxed in by the raised beds which the previous owners and planters of the garden put in, so it's impossible at present. It produced a few fruits the first year we were there, and none last year, and looked rather sad all summer - so I am assuming that it's probably malnourished. What sort of liquid feed can I treat it to in order to pep it up a bit please?
0
Posts
Something with lots of potash, such as comfrey 'tea' would help to promote flowering and hence fruiting, although it's probably about to burst into flower now if it hasn't already, so it may be too late for this year. A general feed with blood fish & bone will perk it up for this year and maybe give it the potash later. Wood ash is also a source. Mulch with garden compost by all means.
Has it been pruned properly? Is the soil around it compacted?
There is no exposed soil around it, hence the problem with mulching - there are the wooden bits of the raised bed in a little square around the trunk, and some sort of stones (flat, maybe shale?) has been put over the soil in the little square, so it has absolutely no exposed soil around it at all, but I do water through the stoney mulch. We certainly have lots of wood ash as we have a wood burner, so will try that. It's not been pruned as there isn't anything that needs pruning - it's not growing very much. Whereas the other pear tree has had quite a bit pruned off, and is very fruitful.
We will be re-doing the raised beds at some point, so will probably move it or at least make it more comfortable. I feel rather sorry for it where it is.
I will have to buy something in - we don't have any comfrey. Is seaweed feed any good? (Am very clueless as to what is in what which feed.)
I should get the stones (probably slate?) out, rough up the soil a bit, sprinkle in a handful or two of blood fish & bone, water well and mulch over the top.
Might be an idea to remove any fruitlets formed after flowering and let the tree concentrate its effort on putting on a bit of growth this year.
Pruning isn't just to reduce the size - it also encourages branches to grow in the right places and directions to promote fruiting. But unless there are dead, damaged or diseased branches, that's a winter job.
Don't know about seaweed: it's said to be good for lots of things.