Topic: Conferance Pears

[The gardener]

I have been asked a question from a friend, who's friend has a conference pear tree.

Apparently she has had it for nine years , it is supposedly 'self fertile' it always has plenty of blossom but 'No Pears'

My first thought were of Pollination i.e. the blossom appears during a cold spell when there are very few pollinators about (if any).

Thats about all I could think of, is there anyone out there, perhaps with experience of this, who could spread more light on the problem?

.... in anticipation....ta very much

[tim]

I see that it's only partially self-fertile. Ring Ken Muir - he knows it all!  Even in a cold spell, one would expect an overlap of pollinating times? = Tim

[Muddy_Boots]

Quite a few of the top fruit growers down here keep bee hives in the orchards.  However, those who don't sometimes plant phacelia (californian bluebell) round the orchard as the plant is so very attractive to bees

She could try sowing some near to the pear tree!  Added bonus being they are a lovely shade of blue!

Kate

[Hot_Potato]

:) Your so right about Ken Muir being the man to ask....I used to work for him down at Weeley Heath, Nr. Clacton-on-Sea when I lived that way.....it was really interesting and eye opening....I was however, in the office and not involved in anything to do with the growing of things tho - well not the physical side of it .....a real nice man.....wish I could remember the things I learned whilst I was there tho!!   :'( H.P.

[tim]

- small world? = Tim

[teresa]

Found this
Pears
All pears require pollinators, although Concorde and Conference will produce some fruit by themselves. To select a pollinator choose another variety of pear in the same group, previous group or following group in the table below. In areas where there are many pear trees growing it may not be necessary to plant a pollinator.

All pear trees are pollinated by insects, the main pollinator being bees. Recently there has been a decline in honey bees who are a major asset to pollination. Also our other native bees have been in decline due to loss of breeding habitats and wild flowers. To ensure pollination of your fruit trees it is now possible to encourage a native bees into your garden or orchard with Oxford Bee Company's bee nest boxes.


Group 2:
Mid-Season Flowering Beth,
Conference,
Williams' Bon Chrétien.

Group 3:
Mid-Late Season Flowering Concorde,
Doyenne du Comice.

I do remember mum had a conferance pear and she had a william pear both in the top garden?

[john_miller]

When UK farmers first started growing oil seed rape overwinter it adversely affected top fruit pollination. As disingenuous as it sounds,  rape pollen has a higher content of sugars than Malus . When both are in flower simultaeneously bees will always go to the rape and only move on to apples or pears as the rape flowers end. It may be that your friend's friend's pear tree is flowering at the same time as another plant that is more attractive and is consequently not being visited by bees. I have seen estimates that bees are responsible for only 50% of pollination, so lack of fruit may be due as much to a decline in other vectors as any in bees.

[Palustris]

Thanks John, we are surrounded by Winter Rape this year, I will be out with my little pollenating hare's foot on a stick.

[tim]

- you learn every day! Feel like saying b...y farmers - but there are so many earthy, small farmers who desperately need support. Even against Thai battered chickens! = Tim

[john_miller]

 In defense of farmers, Tim, I should have added that arrangements were worked out between farmers and orchardists to ensure that flowering of the two crops were not simultaeneous or that the rape was grown at a sufficent distance that the bees would not travel (they prefer 300m. as a maximum, if I remember correctly) to the rape.
Hopefully with Dan's indulgence, I would like to use your comment about small farmers as a springboard to say something about the Amazon link? I cannot offer financial support to this site through this link as I would just get shunted to Amazon.com but even if I could I wouldn't. Here in the US independent booksellers are closing down at a rate second only to independent pharmacists. This is due to 1) Barnes and Noble, 2) Borders, books and music (two chain booksellers) and 3) Amazon. I have seen you many times urge people to buy their vegetables and fruit from growers local to themselves but it is my principle that everything possible should be bought locally too. I am sitting in a village that lost it's family owned hardware store at the end of 2003. I'm not sure why, but I think it is more than coincidence that the U.S.'s largest chain hardware store has just opened two outlets within 30 miles of here. I am not sure either that the supposed price savings really exist. I was able to buy the American edition of the R.H.S. Encyclopedia of Plants from my local bookseller for $2 less than from Amazon (due to the postage they added on). Additionally I didn't have to post my credit card number on my computer! (My bank is issuing me a new one this month as their system got hacked late last year). Monies spent in the local community help to keep the local community strong and vibrant. Except for Houstonians does anyone prefer to keep Houston's economy strong in preference to their own? This would be a result of buying through Amazon. So, Dan, what is developing about the P.O. Box you mentioned?
 End of proselytizing.

[tim]

- quite a mouthful! So sad . All our local hardware stores are going, too - giving way to gift shops. As though we needed  any more of those. One is forced more & more into the pre-packaged, knowledgeless world of the giants. = Tim

[The gardener]

Thank you for the information I shall pass it on!

I would guess she will be grateful for it as I am.

Thanks again

[MagpieDi]

Well said John !

I live in a tiny village, where over the last 18 years, 3 dairy farms have folded, one of which had it's own bottling plant. General Store and Post Office also closed. There is no longer anywhere to meet village folk apart from the woods !! Oh..... and the chapel !!  

Very sad  :(