Thin fruit on pear?

8 years ago

I learned my lesson with my very first peach crop last year (hanging head in shame for not pruning my tree or thinning my fruit enough) and now the peach trees are suffering from broken branches. :(

So... now my Nova pear tree is 8 years old. Last year was the first time it flowered and I got at least a dozen pears (delicious!). This year it flowered like crazy and I can't even believe the fruit load on some of the branches. Will the tree naturally drop anything it can't handle? It was really windy today, so the photo is a bit blurry, but here's part of a branch that's especially loaded with tiny pears. Some branches are covered the entire length with tiny fruits just like this. Do I leave it for now?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
8 years ago
The tree will drop some on its own but I wouldn't rely on it to take care of the whole problem! Thin to one pear per cluster of fruit (pick the largest or best shaped to leave) and space so that each cluster has 6-8 inches of branch.

Thinning will cause the fruit to develop to full size and not over weight the branches. Not thinning can cause the tree to be biennial or produce well only every other year.

Thinning Fruit Trees
jason long (Z8a/7b)
8 years ago
/agree with gardengal48
Related Professionals
Atlanta Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Elkton Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Knoxville Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Hartford Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Utica Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Bronx Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Crestview Landscape Contractors · West Plains Landscape Contractors · Coos Bay Landscape Contractors · Belleville Home Additions · Dallas Home Additions · New Braunfels Home Additions · Waco Home Additions · Brattleboro Home Additions · Great Falls Home Additions
party_music50
Original Author
8 years ago
ok, thank you for confirming!

gardengal, I had read an article before posting that indicated pears generally didn't need thinning and that cherries never did. The write-up you posted says I should be thinning my cherries too?! I'm not convinced. :)

Honestly, I'm shocked that I'm getting any fruit on peaches and pears.... we're in a rough z5 setting and those types of trees simply don't exist or do well here.