Don't know where you are located, but I personally would suspect the weather as being the biggest factor. When trees bloom well but don't set fruit, it's usually weather or a pollination problem. Asian pears can be pollinated by European pears or ornametal pears (like 'Bradford') which are pretty common most places -- most neighborhoods have some kind of pear planted, so pollination isn't generally a problem.

Here in Michigan, there is very little fruit this year, due to the weather. It was in the 70's and 80's in late March and the first few days in April, and then temps fell into the 20's for highs and lows around 10 degrees. This late freeze ruined most fruit crops -- I have a few apples, some peaches, and a few sour cherries. It is the smallest pear crop I've ever seen -- litterally a handfull on each tree. The buds were damaged by the cold -- they bloomed normally, but the fruits did not develop.

Better luck next year. As far as I can tell with my pears, you really can't give them too much nitrogen, as long as they get the other nutrients, too. I have often used pure Urea, which is 46-0-0, on the lawns around my fruit trees, and they thrive.

bakaroni:

I don't know what is specifically responsible for your lack of fruit after heavy blooming, but I do know that growing tall with thick, lush foliage is not the recipe for a productive Asian pear. Are you fertilizing this tree, and if so, with what? Most fruit trees require little if any supplemental nitrogen, and then only if they are clearly nitrogen starved. If the foliage is very lush and thick, do some summer pruning now, and thin it. Try to reduce the natural tendency of the tree to grow vertically with a little branch spreading, using spreaders, weights, or tiedowns on the branches.

Why do you suspect that a squall may have blew away the blooms? Did you have a squall, and are squalls common where you live? What were the weather conditions like when your tree was in bloom? Please tell us where you are located, so it is possible to figure in your climate in any attempt to explain your problem. Asian pear blossoms are pretty tough, but not immune to a late frost, and these trees may require a companion pollinator to induce a good fruit set. Normally, Asian pears set so heavily that they require extensive thinning, but if your tree blossomed the first season you planted it, it is either very precocious or was quite large when it was planted.

Crunchy and sweet does sound like an Asian pear, and the brown color could indicate a variety like Chojuro. How did it happen that you bought a tree from a nursery, brought it home, and planted it without really knowing what it is? Was it a close-out sale and was the tag missing?

I think you did the right thing by removing the fruits that formed the first season, and with any kind of luck whatever happened this year will not be repeated. The fact that it did set fruit the first season may indicate that pollination will not be a problem, unless it had already been pollinated by other pear trees at the nursery before you brought it home.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA