All my pears fell off.

[mrbadexample]

Hi all,

As it says in the title really. I only had about 5 fruit set on my young Williams Bon Chretien, and they've all dropped off. Any idea why? Is it the cold nights?

Bit gutted really, I was looking forward to those.

Cheers,
MBE

[zazen999]

I imagine not being pollinated. I had some plums drop off this weekend.

[mrbadexample]

I imagine not being pollinated. I had some plums drop off this weekend.

The WBC is supposed to be partially self-fertile. Most of the flowers did drop off without setting, but these 5 had developed small (1cm or so) fruit. Then they fell off.

[chris]

Lack of water possibly? June drop?

[Nicos]

My first thought was June drop too.

[lottie dolly]

I would think,none polination to,there are very few bees and others around this year,the comfrey is normally inundated,but not this year,the lupins flowers are all falling of and not developing,i wonder how the beans will do,looking a bit serious thus far,so up will go food prices again,the stuff that is not reliant on bees,will also rise to help put money in pockets,

[FB.]

I imagine not being pollinated. I had some plums drop off this weekend.

My pears have been very hit-and-miss for pollination this year. Some had lots of blossom yet only a handful of fruitlets (about 1% of flowers pollinated) whereas others have a reasonable crop.

The apples are looking quite good though; they flower later so the bees had more time to get going.

I understand that when it's cool, honey bees can't fly far as their bodies need to be a certain minimum temperature in order to fly. That leaves only the more-cold-tolerant minority - bumblebees - to do all the work. I haven't seen many bees this year.

[FB.]

The WBC is supposed to be partially self-fertile. Most of the flowers did drop off without setting, but these 5 had developed small (1cm or so) fruit. Then they fell off.

Self-fertile doesn't help if there are no bees to move the pollen from one part of the flower (anthers/stamens) to the other part of the flower (stigma).

The flowers which only received a few grains of viable and compatible pollen may later drop the fruits ("June drop") because it often requires several seeds to in each fruit in order for the fruit to be retained on the tree.
There are exceptions though, such as triploids where even when well-pollinated the seeds are often so small as to be barely visible (due to genetic abnormality), or parthenocarpy where fruits form without seeds and without pollination.

[mrbadexample]

Hmmm...I think I'm ok for bees. I've got lots of bee-friendly flowers, and two decent sized (and reasonably well-used) bee hotels. They might not have been so active in earlier months when the pear blossom was out though.

In future years, is this a job I can do myself, like some people do with chillies etc? Or are there better ways of increasing my chances next time?

[Veggielot]

I have got small fruit on my Pear Tree for the first time this year. I assumed that I would only get fruit if pollinated, never heard of June drop, I am worried now. I suppose there is nothing you can do about it?

[chris]

Hmmm...I think I'm ok for bees. I've got lots of bee-friendly flowers, and two decent sized (and reasonably well-used) bee hotels. They might not have been so active in earlier months when the pear blossom was out though.

In future years, is this a job I can do myself, like some people do with chillies etc? Or are there better ways of increasing my chances next time?

I hand pollinated all my fruit trees this year.. after having no fruit last year, I wanted to be sure at least some flowers set this year!