Allotments 4 All

Last year I bought a pear tree to train as an espalier. Its leaves didn't look healthy last season after planting. This year they look fine...there's no flowers though....should I have expected any second year around. (It was from Aldi..but then it was only £2.99..think it was a Conference)

Ditto but I got mine from Lidl - Doyenne de comice. I think probably if you have started pruning the tree to form an espalier when you planted it that would explain the poor performance in the first year. Mine was the same. This year there is plenty of healthy leaf growth but no sign of flowers. In any case if there are flowers you are supposed to remove them during the first 3 years that  the tree is being trained as an espalier.

I am slightly concerned that I don't know what rootstock has been used. Ideally for espalier training I would want the more vigorous rootstock Quince A.

Given the price I paid I'm not too concerned if it doesn't work. Just enjoying the learning process. Good luck with your tree!

you too! I would rather not have the vigorous root stock but no way of knowing I guess....

Whatever it's grafted on will be less vigerous than its own roots...  :-X

My one from Lidl was budding OK then the frosts blackened and killed the buds and I snapped a few twig/branches when brushing past it, it's doing nothing at the minute what should I do next.   ::)
Sorry for jumping in SC.  ;)

Cornykev, when you say it's doing nothing, it should be flush with leaf right now - if it isn't, take it back to Lidl's and ask for your money back!

When I bought it Jenny it had buds and leafage but it still has black marks where the buds were frosted and as I  said I have 3 or 4 branch/ twigs broken off, will they take this back and I doubt if I still have the receipt.   :-\

Ours died after the first year but this year has started shooting from the bottom.We have taken all of the shoots off that were coming from below the graft but I'm afraid that it wil be a pear bush for a while until we can sort out a strong shoot