Need fruit tree advice

[mrgrower]

Hi been a long time since I last posted but need some advice.
In my back garden I have duel Apple, duel pear and duel Plum trees.

They have been in for over 4 years.

The Pear tree starts the spring OK with lots of blossom but then the leaves start going black and wither I cut the affected branches off and get new growth but have only ever had one pear off the tree and each year the same thing happens?

The apple does get some blossom on but the leaves get brown spots on them and it has never fruited?

The plum tree is going great guns fruited after two years and getting better each year.

Should I remove the apple and pear tree and go with plum trees?

What is the problem affecting the Apple and Pear trees especially the Pear?

Cheers for any advice

[burnie]

Do you have pollinators nearby? apples in particular need help, so maybe one of each isn't giving you the balance. You will need to know what pollinator group your current tree falls into and then add another, in a pot if you don't have room for more.

[bario1]

Mrgrower, I've moved your thread to the 'Feeling Fruity' section of the forum, where all the fruity experts are more likely to see your thread.

[nickdub]

Sounds like the apple and pear aren't growing very well - you don't say what sort of ground they are in or how you have been looking after them eg compost/manure etc - a few more details would help.

Generally speaking IMHO, pears are a bit of an iffy proposition in most gardens and most years in the UK.

The apple tree on the other hand, given you are getting fruit on the plum, is most likely suffering from some specific problems - a photo/more info will probably lead to better targeted advice.

[devonuk]

Where in the country are you, and are you in town/suburb/countryside?

The pear problem sounds horribly like fire blight. Do the leaves look like the pictures here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_blight

[fishpond]

As has been said photographs would be very helpful.
The pear tree sounds like a spray with neem oil in the winter would sort that out.
The Apple sounds like a fungal disease of some sort---probably linked to growing conditions.
More info and some phots would be very helpful.

Please do not remove anymore branches as the Pear tree is growing new branches instead of putting its energy into fruit---surprised you haven't killed it yet.

[mrgrower]

Hi fishpond Ill get some pictures up once the issue re-occurs with the Pear tree. The branches where only removed after the leaves went black and it was evident the fruit was going to be none existent. so trying to stop possible spread.

I was thinking the tree was suffering from a fungal infection as the people at the back have planted an acer tree which I was thinking was leading to some problems?

As for the apple tree there are cross pollinators in other gardens and they seem to be OK but recon you and others may be right about the growing conditions and fungus as I'm at the lowest point with clay soil but the pear and plumb are higher than the apple tree.

I will give the pear a sprey with that neem oil and see how it goes but if it don't sort the problem I will take the pictures as the issue re-occurs.

Cheers

[nickdub]

If you are low down a bank in a garden with a sticky clay soil quite likely the apple is drowning in the winter - pears will put up with much wetter soil conditions than apples, if they are grafted on a quince root-stock.

Obviously moving the apple this autumn once the leaves are off to a less waterlogged spot would be the best answer - failing that, preparing some sort of a hump of soil with a surround of sorts ( a bit like a mini raised bed) and replanting the tree on top of that might help a bit - on a field scale land drains can help a lot, but there is rarely enough room to make this a practical option in a normal garden.