Monday, November 4

Confused pear tree?

When we visited the plot yesterday, taking advantage of the dry, afternoon, I happened across this.
One of our pear trees seems to be more than a little confused. It had produced several small clusters of blossom.
I don't suppose we will get any late pears though do you?







This is the tree that I suspect has fireblight. The top part of the tree looks as though it may be dead but the lower branches look very healthy. You may remember as I had read that you should notify Defra if you suspected you had fireblight on pears I sent off an email to ask if they could offer advice. No response was forthcoming so that was a waste of time.

Other bloggers have told me that they had similar problems with a pear tree in the past and that the tree recovered so we will see. I hope this tree doesn't think the end is nigh and is throwing up blossom as a panic response. 


25 comments:

  1. I do hope your tree is just confused and not in a state of panic Sue. Shame of Defra - you'd think an acknowledgement would be the least they could do.

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    1. I did think as the info said you had to notify about fireblight that they may be a littele bit interested Andie

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  2. Getting no response from DEFRA is no surprise. Lots of the big departments exhibit a "Couldn't care less" attitude. I had the same when I emailed the Army Pensions Office to enquire about my forthcoming pension entitlement. No response at all, despite an invitation on the website to use this method of communication.

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  3. Poor thing, hopefully a nice rest over winter and it will bounce back for you next spring.

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  4. I've had autumn blossom on my apple trees before now and it didn't seem to affect the following season's fruit production. What a shame DEFRA didn't reply. Too busy looking out the window I expect.

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    1. Here's fingers crossed CJ and that it survives whatever ails it!

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  5. Sorry to hear you had no response from DEFRA, I contacted them last year regarding my camellia, and sent off some photos to them asking if it could possibly have Phytophthora ramorum (Sudden Oak Death), I got a prompt reply and an inspector came to my garden 3 days later and took samples he analysed when he was there - and confirmed it didn’t suffer from it. I was very surprised they actually sent someone out, was prepared for sending them some leaves in the post and wanted to know where to send them. I did however contact FERA, a department of DEFRA, perhaps that made a difference?
    http://www.fera.defra.gov.uk

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    1. I've forwarded my email to this department Helene thank you.

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  6. You'd think a reply is the least they could do, especially as they ask to be notified. It might just be the mild October that's confused it, fingers crossed.

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  7. I'm with Mark on the bigger organizations having a couldn't care less attitude these days. B.T. my local council, works & pensions are just 3 I've had lack of response from in the past 12 months. Anyway I digress. Our weather has been very mild until about a week and a half ago and last week a couple of my French bean plants started to flower again last week. Fire blight is no joke so I hope the tree eventually recovers. I don't suppose the big organizations will be telling the general public about global dimming either, this could be yet another factor affecting the course of nature.

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    1. Don't start me on with BT - I had to get very stroppy with them over my sister's telephone - each time I rang I ended up with a different person in India who went through exactly the same process, made the same promises. This went on for months until I erupted!!

      Anyway fongers crossed for the pear!

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    2. I'll keep my fingers crossed but I can't find any fongers lol.

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    3. Oops! Blume the fongers thay hot the wring kay! :)

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  8. What an interesting thought, to think the tree may be flowering because it thinks the end is nigh. I do hope it recovers.xxxx

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  9. I know some plants flower when stressed, Snowbird, in a desperate attempt to produce seed before they die. It's why if sometimes you over pamper some types of plant they just grow healthy leaves and don't send up flowers.

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  10. Actually I have no idea about pear tree. As long as I know that pear blossom in summer, but this is an autumn blossom. this is new information for me

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    1. Just a case of a tree that can't tell the seasons Endah

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    2. Your pear tree does think the end is nye and it is almost certainly right. As you know it is very common for a severely stressed plant to produce a last attempt to set seed! - not that it will flowering now!
      I think Defra would be straight to your door twenty years ago, but it has escaped from the cage now and I think they have given up.
      I am wondering whether the wonderful flowers on my lilac this year were a final swan song before it succumbs to honey fungus which I will be posting about next week!

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    3. Oh dear, Roger honey fungus another harbinger of doom and gloom.

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  11. I hope it's just confused! Such a beautiful tree to loose!

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  12. These articles and blogs are genuinely sufficiency for me for a day.


    Pear Trees & Cherry Trees

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