Mar 9, 2018

Weather and Pear Blooms Will They Fruit?



This particular pear tree has been especially full of blooms this year, but will they make it?  Will they become pears?

2013 photo

This is a Kieffer Pear Tree.  It seems to really like it out here.  We picked a few pears off of it last year.  The year before a limb broke it was loaded with many pears. Unfortunately they weren't ripe but they sure were beautiful.  


2014 photo 


Bartlett and Kieffer Pear Trees are good pollinators for most all pear trees and are somewhat self fertile.  They will sometimes self pollinate themselves.  That is good to know!  You can read more about Pollination by Grandpa.




This picture was taken after blooming and a hard frost
Several of the blooms had been affected







Arbor Day Foundation  says that the Kieffer Pear is said to be an accidental hybrid.  It is very hardy.  It lives long, disease resistant, bears well, tolerates a wide range of climates.


photo credit

These aren't Kieffer Pears but I just love the look of all pears!



(sorry blurry)
Close up view of the blooms

My sister, Gwen and I talked yesterday trying to think of a way to frost protect our fruit tree blooms with the frost that was coming.  I even went out with ladder and queen sized sheet to cover mine..Yeah right sometimes I have some goofy ideas.  That sheet wouldn't even cover the top that this tree, it is so big.  Oh, well I just gave up and went inside ladder, sheet and all.  We'll just have to wait and see what fruits. Protecting fruit trees in the Winter one article I read.




Old farm sites that have long been abandoned, frequently reveal their past life in oddly placed daffodils or an old orchard.  The Kieffer Pear still stands when nothing else does and has always been a beacon that a farmhouse and family lived there at one time. Taken from In the Garden:  Key to Tasty Kieffer Pears: Chillin'.  Harvest the fruit that releases with a gentle pull, then store in the drawer of your refrigerator and forget about it for a couple of weeks.  They have a long storage life.  I think I'll try the pear preserves at that site as well.




This was taken today after low of 27 degrees this morning 
You can see some more blooms gone and center of bloom dark...











Oh yes, I can tell many of the blooms have completely fallen off
Some of the remaining have dark centers






Pear Honey - Video and Recipe

I'm saving this in case a lot of the pears survive!



FLOWERS BLOOMING OUT ALREADY












Lady Banks Rose


I have my lettuces inside for the time being.


Answer to my own question?  I don't know how many will be left on the tree. I am not an expert in this area but we will see.  If you happen to know anything about growing pears and the exposure to cold weather please leave a comment below.


Daylight Savings Time is here tomorrow
Spring Forward
Turn clock forward
Guess I'll have to catch a nap
(yeah right if I nap the kids will call 911 lol....)




4 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete


HOUSE AND GARDENS