Pears

[Jeff Layman]

Anyone seeing a poor crop this year?

We've lost about half the pears on our Concorde tree. There weren't that
many to begin with, and we've had no bad weather to account for the
loss. An old acquaintance nearby has also said his pears are very
limited, and a tree in a garden nearby which usually crops well seems
devoid of pears. This is in south Hampshire; what's happening elsewhere?

[Jenny M Benson]

Post by Jeff Layman
Anyone seeing a poor crop this year?
We've lost about half the pears on our Concorde tree. There weren't that
many to begin with, and we've had no bad weather to account for the
loss. An old acquaintance nearby has also said his pears are very
limited, and a tree in a garden nearby which usually crops well seems
devoid of pears. This is in south Hampshire; what's happening elsewhere?

I have a small pear tree in a large pot which fruited well in its second
year. The following years it produced a reasonable amount of tiny
fruits which then all disappeared and last year it produced no fruit at
all. (I thought lack of pollination as it flowered when the weather was
dull and cold.) I warned the tree that this year was its last chance
and was pleased that it seemed to respond quite well. When I saw a
couple of tiny fruits on the ground I thought it was natural shedding
but a few weeks on there is not a single fruit left. I wondered if the
wood pigeons which I can't keep away from the nearby bird feeder are
responsible.

(A potted family apple tree about 2 yards away, but against the house
wall, fruits well.)

[tahiri]

Post by Jenny M Benson

Post by Jeff Layman
Anyone seeing a poor crop this year?
We've lost about half the pears on our Concorde tree. There weren't
that many to begin with, and we've had no bad weather to account for
the loss. An old acquaintance nearby has also said his pears are very
limited, and a tree in a garden nearby which usually crops well seems
devoid of pears. This is in south Hampshire; what's happening elsewhere?

I have a small pear tree in a large pot which fruited well in its second
year.  The following years it produced a reasonable amount of tiny
fruits which then all disappeared and last year it produced no fruit at
all.  (I thought lack of pollination as it flowered when the weather was
dull and cold.)  I warned the tree that this year was its last chance
and was pleased that it seemed to respond quite well.  When I saw a
couple of tiny fruits on the ground I thought it was natural shedding
but a few weeks on there is not a single fruit left.  I wondered if the
wood pigeons which I can't keep away from the nearby bird feeder are
responsible.
(A potted family apple tree about 2 yards away, but against the house
wall, fruits well.)

As a late follow up to this yes I would now blame the birds. I have just
been told there was a jackdaw eating away at one of the apples on my
tree until it got near the stalk and the remains dropped off. Normally
this tree crops well and I could spare a few for the birds, but this
year I've only got a dozen or so apples and they are nowhere near ripe
yet. I'm annoyed!

[tahiri]

Post by Jeff Layman
Anyone seeing a poor crop this year?
We've lost about half the pears on our Concorde tree. There weren't that
many to begin with, and we've had no bad weather to account for the
loss. An old acquaintance nearby has also said his pears are very
limited, and a tree in a garden nearby which usually crops well seems
devoid of pears. This is in south Hampshire; what's happening elsewhere?

I have a family pear tree which has been hacked about the last couple of
years as I try to discourage the conference branches. It has a few
potential fruits of all three varieties, although the Williams flowered
well so I would have hoped for more of them. It did get a quick slight
frost after flowering. Maybe they just haven't liked it being
permanently cold, wet and windy this year. I know I haven't liked it!

[Nick Maclaren]

Post by Jeff Layman
Anyone seeing a poor crop this year?

My queen Cox has only a few on it, and a vine has nothing. One damson
has plenty and other has nothing. But the real havoc is my embellifers,
which I often have problems with, but not to this extent.

I have had to sow my parsnips twice and parsley three times to get a
decent emergence. However, after FOUR thick sowings of a 9 yard
double row, I have two (count them! TWO!) carrots.


I would love to know why but, after 40+ years of this effect, I am
none the wiser. But I have not before had a total failure.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

[Chris Green]

Post by Nick Maclaren

Post by Jeff Layman
Anyone seeing a poor crop this year?

My queen Cox has only a few on it, and a vine has nothing. One damson
has plenty and other has nothing. But the real havoc is my embellifers,
which I often have problems with, but not to this extent.
I have had to sow my parsnips twice and parsley three times to get a
decent emergence. However, after FOUR thick sowings of a 9 yard
double row, I have two (count them! TWO!) carrots.
I would love to know why but, after 40+ years of this effect, I am
none the wiser. But I have not before had a total failure.

Strangely we're seeing rather the opposite this year, we're in south
Suffolk. The fruit trees (apples, pears, plums) all seem to have
quite a reasonable amount of set fruit. We are already almost
overwhelmed by raspberries (and loganberries and boisonberries).

Our salad leaves are rampant and the various beans seem to be coming
along nicely. We don't have any root vegetables planted.

[Nick Maclaren]

Post by Chris Green
Strangely we're seeing rather the opposite this year, we're in south
Suffolk. The fruit trees (apples, pears, plums) all seem to have
quite a reasonable amount of set fruit. We are already almost
overwhelmed by raspberries (and loganberries and boisonberries).

We had a hard, late frost. I think that mattered more than the
continual wet.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

[Vir Campestris]

Post by Nick Maclaren

Post by Chris Green
Strangely we're seeing rather the opposite this year, we're in south
Suffolk. The fruit trees (apples, pears, plums) all seem to have
quite a reasonable amount of set fruit. We are already almost
overwhelmed by raspberries (and loganberries and boisonberries).

We had a hard, late frost. I think that mattered more than the
continual wet.

We're just over the border into Cambs.

Our big apple only has fruit on the sheltered parts. I think we had a
frost which killed the blossom on the outside.

The little tree, which is against a wall, is fine.

Andy

[Chris Green]

Post by Vir Campestris

Post by Nick Maclaren

Post by Chris Green
Strangely we're seeing rather the opposite this year, we're in south
Suffolk. The fruit trees (apples, pears, plums) all seem to have
quite a reasonable amount of set fruit. We are already almost
overwhelmed by raspberries (and loganberries and boisonberries).

We had a hard, late frost. I think that mattered more than the
continual wet.

We're just over the border into Cambs.
Our big apple only has fruit on the sheltered parts. I think we had a
frost which killed the blossom on the outside.
The little tree, which is against a wall, is fine.

Yes, fortunately we're quite close to the coast (sort of half way
between Felixstowe and Woodbridge) so we tend not to be quite so
likely to get late frosts.

We are now overwhelmed by raspberries! :-)

[David]

Post by Jeff Layman
Anyone seeing a poor crop this year?
We've lost about half the pears on our Concorde tree. There weren't that
many to begin with, and we've had no bad weather to account for the
loss. An old acquaintance nearby has also said his pears are very
limited, and a tree in a garden nearby which usually crops well seems
devoid of pears. This is in south Hampshire; what's happening elsewhere?

We have 2 plums on our Victoria.

For the first time I can recall we have no fruit on our Brown Turkey fig;
although this may give the usual second crop a better chance.

Haven't checked the apples in the wild bit.
Greengage dead as a very dead dead thing, apart from the root stock.

It has been a very strange year.

Cheers



Dave R