10 reasons why a pear tree isn't blooming or bearing fruit if it's already 5 years old, and what to do about it

Garden trees may respond to unfavorable environmental factors, resource shortages, or disease by failing to bloom or bear fruit. If a pear tree hasn't bloomed even once after reaching fruiting age, there's a good chance the root cause of the problem was laid during planting.

In this case, it may be more difficult to eradicate the cause of the tree's infertility.

Why doesn't the pear tree bloom?

If the tree blooms but doesn't form fruit, it's easier to determine the cause, especially when the blossom drop occurs en masse after some other event. This could include frost, overfertilization, or pest infestation. If the pear tree doesn't bloom, it's best to look back at events from previous seasons.

The most likely reasons for the absence of flowers on a pear tree:

Landing errors

The lack of flowering is caused by an incorrectly positioned root collar. Negative consequences are guaranteed both if the plant is planted too deeply and if the root collar is exposed and raised above the soil surface.

Root rot

This occurs as a result of waterlogging of the soil due to excess irrigation or precipitation, planting in swampy areas, lowlands where groundwater comes high to the surface level, and water accumulates after rains.

Freezing of roots

In a snowless and frosty winter, pear tree roots can suffer severe damage, which can lead to the tree's death or, at the very least, to deterioration. Flowering and fruit production are unlikely on a weakened plant.

Freezing of flower buds

It's possible that flower buds are forming on the pear tree, but they fall off, caught by early frosts, preventing blooms. If flowering is consistently absent, the variety is likely zoned for other regions. Low temperatures can also cause already-opened flowers to fall off.

Shading

A pear tree's lack of sunlight most often manifests itself in sparse flowering and poor fruit set. A complete lack of flowers on branches only occurs in plants that spend most of the day in the shade of buildings or other trees.

Pear leafhopper infestation

The pest feeds on tree sap, attacking in early spring, before the leaves emerge. Buds, including flower buds, become the insect's primary food source.

Incorrect pruning

Excessive crown pruning weakens trees, especially young pear trees. A weakened plant is forced to expend nutrients on crown restoration rather than on flowering and fruit production.

Nutritional deficiencies

Growing in poor, infertile soil has a similar effect: the tree lacks the resources to flower. This is due to a lack of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

Also try making a fish meal supplement.

Cold wind

Constant exposure to drafts also weakens the pear tree, especially if the wind blows from the north.

Varietal characteristic

There's no single fruiting age for pears: some varieties begin bearing fruit in the second year after planting, while others do so at 5, 7, or 10 years. Some varieties begin bearing fruit at 15 years of age.

Ways to stimulate flowering

In some cases, resolving the problem without much effort is impossible—for example, when growing in marshy areas or in dense shade, the only solution is to replant the tree. Pear trees, especially mature trees, do not tolerate this procedure well and may fail to thrive in the new location or weaken, delaying flowering for several more years.

But most of the negative factors that prevent flowering can be corrected without radical measures.

1. If the root collar was positioned too high when planted, the tree should be hilled up periodically. If the root collar is too deep, a layer of soil should be removed from the area around the trunk.
2. If the bark has cracked due to frost, it is necessary to cover the wound with clay or garden pitch and wrap it in woven material.
3. Extensive pear psyllid infestations require insecticides. Sprays against the pest are applied during bud break and, if flowering begins, after blossom fall, or in early summer if there are no blossoms (this is when the second generation of insects emerges). Biopreparations and folk remedies effective against pear psyllid can also be used, such as fumigation with peat or tobacco, and treatments with yarrow, dandelion, or tobacco infusions.
4. Trees growing in drafty areas should, if possible, be protected from the wind with a windbreak. This could be a decorative wall to support climbing plants.
5. Trees weakened by pruning, weather conditions, poor agricultural practices, pest damage, and disease should be supported with foliar feeding of phosphorus and potassium in the summer.
6. The fertility of depleted soil must be increased using organic fertilizers. Compost (15-20 kg per square meter) and, if the soil is alkaline, peat (3-4 kg per square meter) are good for this purpose. In early spring and late fall, it's helpful to add 20 kg of rotted manure to the soil. For trees older than 7 years, increase the dose to 30 kg.

Prevention of the problem

Healthy and strong young trees that have reached fruitful age will not sit idle, so the main preventative measure is ensuring all the necessary conditions for the crop. However, certain agricultural practices are more important for high-quality flowering and should be given special attention.

When landing

Care should be taken to ensure conditions for flowering and fruit set on pear trees even at the planting stage. Key points to consider:

1. Pear trees should be planted in a location that receives full sun throughout the day, but is not too hot. West or southwest exposures are best.
2. It's recommended to plant trees in a quiet corner of the garden, away from strong gusts of wind. Ideally, a barrier (a fence, a row of trees, or the south wall of a house) should be located on the north side of the tree.
3. If the site is located in a low-lying area, it is recommended to create an artificial mound (earth mound) for planting pear trees. This prevents water from accumulating near the roots after precipitation, but is impractical if the groundwater table is high, as pear tree roots reach a depth of 6-8 meters. Some gardeners dig a system of canals to drain groundwater.
4. When planting, the root collar of the seedling should be positioned approximately at the level of the soil surface.
5. Corn, sunflowers, and other crops with tall, developed stems and roots that quickly deplete the soil should not be planted near pear trees. Cabbage, legumes, and radishes—that is, plants with shallow root systems—are acceptable.

Care instructions

Basic principles of agricultural technology to avoid problems with flowering:

1. During the summer, pear trees should be watered every 14 days, applying 5-7 buckets of water per mature tree. In spring and fall, rainfall is generally sufficient, but during dry and warm seasons, continued irrigation is necessary.
2. If there's a risk of root frost, cover the area beneath the tree with a layer of mulch in the fall for insulation. The area to be protected should correspond to the size of the tree's crown. Pine needles are the optimal insulator; leaves and branches are also suitable as covering materials, but only from healthy, fungus-free plants.
3. In spring, preventative treatments against pests and diseases should be carried out. The first is done when the buds open, the second – at the beginning of bud formation.
4. In the spring, the tree receives its main dose of nitrogen, and potassium-phosphorus fertilizers are also required at this time. In the fall, only phosphorus and potassium are applied; nitrogen fertilizers should be discontinued after the first half of summer.
5. It is not recommended to prune the tree before it begins to bear fruit.

Selecting a variety

If a gardener expects to harvest fruit from a pear tree within a few years of planting the tree, it is necessary to pay attention to the corresponding characteristics of the variety.

For example, pear varieties that begin bearing fruit at 3-4 years:

• "November"
• "Rogneda";
• "Honey";
• "Early Moldovan";
• Petrovskaya
• Chizhovskaya
• "In Memory of Yakovlev".

Pears that bear fruit at the age of 5-7 years after planting:

• "Early maturing";
• Nika;
• Williams;
• "Veles";
• "Duchess";
• "Treasure";
• "Fairytale";
• "Victoria";
• "Forest Beauty".

When choosing a pear variety, its zoning should also be considered. Most problems associated with tree frost occur when planting heat-loving varieties in temperate or northern regions.

Tips and reviews from gardeners

Anna, 47 years old:

"I've been successfully using rye for several years to insulate pear tree roots during the winter. I sow it under the tree in early July, then mow it down in the fall and leave it there. This plant is an excellent soil loosener, and pear roots need good oxygen access to ensure a bountiful harvest. Even if mulch isn't needed, it's better to mow the rye down rather than pull it out. The roots remaining in the soil will continue to improve its quality as they decompose, including its airiness."

Sergey, 52 years old:

"In fact, the fruiting dates indicated in pear variety specifications may be delayed if the soil water level in your area is below the standard. The pear tree won't bloom until its roots reach the aquifer."

Pavel, 48 years old:

"A good way to improve soil fertility is to use 'effective microorganisms' (EM). These products contain beneficial bacteria that, when released into the soil, produce humus. If the soil is very depleted, you should water it with this solution once a week. I no longer have this problem, so I prefer to combine these solutions with organic pear fertilizer. The organic fertilizers produce significantly more benefits."

The lack of bloom on a young pear tree is no reason to be disappointed with the variety or the planting stock. Most reasons why a pear tree fails to bloom can be resolved with proper care.