We have about a half dozen pear trees scattered around the property ranging in age from 10 years to 2. All of them with a single exception give me nothing but long thin growth that then flops over.

I do not think I am over fertilizing. The trees are in full sun. I have always treated them more or less the same as the apple and cherry we have put in and those behave quite well.

On the oldest, a bartlet on OFXH 87 I have tried for a couple years to cut it back by half of new growth mid summer in an effort to stiffin it up....no luck. Same old story I get rapid thin extension (which is well leafed not sparse) and then it flops over, tries to grow up more, flops again producing branching more remincent of a weeping crab than a pear.

Now the 3 that went in last year (on seedling rootstock) are showing the same behavior. The only exception is a tree 5 year old on seedling to which I have grafted several varieties....it grows vigorously and with adequate diameter to support the growth well.

I assume I am missing something basic. Ant thoughts?