When I was a child my mother told me that years earlier she had wanted to cut down a non fruitful pear tree which competed with her garden for soil, moisture, nutrients, and caused too much shade. She thought she could kill the tree by throwing out her dish water onto it every time she washed dishes. She washed her dishes by hand in a large pan of very soapy water, so she could do this.

Turns out, instead of killing the tree, she helped it. the tree quckly began producing good fruit and in a short time grew to be very large. For more than 20 years it produced the biggest, most healthy, and very delicious pears.

Thanks for the story. I suppose the dish soap was phosphate based? Or maybe the detergent helped restore an ion balance?

Just thoughts. I'm glad it worked out, whatever the cause.

Best,

M

Very probably. she used Ivory dish soap. At least that was at a time long before the Dawn, degreaser dish soap was ever produced, or the more recent anti bacterial soaps were being sold.

More-than-likely, it was the consistent water supply that allowed the tree to prosper.
My .02
Mike