I Have a 3-Year-Old Pear Tree That Blooms but Doesn Bear Fruit. Whats Wrong?
Do you have a second compatible pollinator pear tree nearby? Orcas, Highland, Rescue and Starkrimson are all recommended European cultivars that bloom mid-season and make excellent pollinators for most other pears. If you do have adequate pollen available, you may not have bees to transfer it. Bee populations have been decimated in many neighborhoods because of the misuse of broad spectrum insecticides; pesticides that kill a wide range of insects. To protect bees, try to minimize the use of insecticides and encourage your neighbors to do the same. Choose least-toxic pest controls whenever possible. Bees have also suffered for at least 10 years from mite infestations that are fatal to hives. Beekeepers medicate hives to help protect them but the wild bees that range through gardens and landscapes are being wiped out. Also, to get proper fruit production, all fruit trees need sun. Be sure the trees are sited where they get at least 6 hours a day of sunshine. There are no shade-tolerant
