Keiffer Pear trees not bearing - Ask Extension
My sister-in-law in Vidor TX has 2 Keiffer pear trees 7 to 8 years old. Both have fruited well in the past. Last year small crop, this year one has ...
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Keiffer Pear trees not bearing #193947
Asked June 24, 2014, 4:12 PM EDT
My sister-in-law in Vidor TX has 2 Keiffer pear trees 7 to 8 years old. Both have fruited well in the past. Last year small crop, this year one has no fruit and is covered with small balls on stems in clusters and the other tree, 1/2 is bearing pears and the other 1/2 only has the cluster of small balls on stems.
I have a picture and will attach.
I have a picture and will attach.
Orange County Texas
Expert Response
Hello,
Most pears are self-unfruitful, so two varieties are necessary for good fruit production. If you only have Kieffer variety that could cause some fruiting problems. Past production would had to have relied on pollen from some other pear tree. Pollen transfer is primarily by insect (mostly bees), so plant trees of different varieties within 40 to 50 feet of each other.
European Hybrids-' Kieffer', 'Orient',' Moonglow', 'Magness' Asian Varieties- 'Shinko', 'Shin Li".
Pear trees grown under favorable conditions will overbear, resulting in small fruit and often broken limbs. Removing excess fruit ensures satisfactory development of color, shape and size of pears remaining on the tree. Failure to remove excess fruit decreases formation of flower buds for the following year and causes trees to produce a good crop every other year. Overcropped trees are also subject to serious limb breakage problems.
The earlier thinning is completed, the more effective it is in achieving desired results. Midsummer thinning improves fruit size, but it does not aid formation of next year’s flower buds, which are initiated during the spring and summer following full bloom. Thin fruit before this period.
Remove fruit by hand. Leave one pear per cluster, and space the clusters approximately every 6 inches. Start at one end of a branch and systematically remove fruit. To remove fruit without damaging other pears on the spur, hold the stem between the thumb and forefinger and push the fruit from the stem with the other fingers. This method removes the pears but leaves the stem attached to the spur.
In the picture you attached I did not see any symptoms of disease or insect problems. The small ball structures should be overbearing of fruit with the result being many small useless fruiting structures.
Mature pear trees should be fertilized each spring with 2 cups of 13-13-13.
I hope this information helps you get your Keiffer pear back in production next year.
Sincerely,
Roy
Most pears are self-unfruitful, so two varieties are necessary for good fruit production. If you only have Kieffer variety that could cause some fruiting problems. Past production would had to have relied on pollen from some other pear tree. Pollen transfer is primarily by insect (mostly bees), so plant trees of different varieties within 40 to 50 feet of each other.
European Hybrids-' Kieffer', 'Orient',' Moonglow', 'Magness' Asian Varieties- 'Shinko', 'Shin Li".
Pear trees grown under favorable conditions will overbear, resulting in small fruit and often broken limbs. Removing excess fruit ensures satisfactory development of color, shape and size of pears remaining on the tree. Failure to remove excess fruit decreases formation of flower buds for the following year and causes trees to produce a good crop every other year. Overcropped trees are also subject to serious limb breakage problems.
The earlier thinning is completed, the more effective it is in achieving desired results. Midsummer thinning improves fruit size, but it does not aid formation of next year’s flower buds, which are initiated during the spring and summer following full bloom. Thin fruit before this period.
Remove fruit by hand. Leave one pear per cluster, and space the clusters approximately every 6 inches. Start at one end of a branch and systematically remove fruit. To remove fruit without damaging other pears on the spur, hold the stem between the thumb and forefinger and push the fruit from the stem with the other fingers. This method removes the pears but leaves the stem attached to the spur.
In the picture you attached I did not see any symptoms of disease or insect problems. The small ball structures should be overbearing of fruit with the result being many small useless fruiting structures.
Mature pear trees should be fertilized each spring with 2 cups of 13-13-13.
I hope this information helps you get your Keiffer pear back in production next year.
Sincerely,
Roy
