Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: EssexPete on August 06, 2018, 12:13
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Hi - I'm after some advice with my pear cordons.
I ordered 4 cordon pears from Orange Pippin.
Williams (Eline rootstock)
Beurre Hardy (Eline)
Concorde (Quince A)
Doyenne du Comice (Eline)
I prepared the whole area in Spring - digging over and digging in well rotted manure over the whole bed.
The cordons arrived in November and I planted them the following day. Around the same time I also planted other soft fruits and an apple (all from a different supplier).
Come spring 3 of the cordons came into leaf, the Williams did not and remained bare.
I've watered them copiously every other day probably 10+ gallons each every watering - just leaving the hose sprinkling around the root area.
Of the 3 that did come into leaf, 2 didn't break bud until July (Comice and Concorde) the Beurre Hardy has still not broken bud, but the leaves remain healthy (there is some Pear Rust on a few leaves of all of them).
I contacted Orange Pippin and they will refund for the Williams as by May it hadn't produced any leaves and was plainly dead.
In the same area I also planted black currant bushes, raspberries and a russet apple (not from Orange Pippin) they are all doing well.
I've attached some photos and would appreciate any advice you can give.
The first pic is the general area (I removed the dead Williams)
2nd is a bud from the Beurre Hardy (all of the buds appear dead, but leaves are ok)
3rd is the Concorde
4th is the Comice
5th is the Beurre Hardy
Many thanks
Pete
PS - I don't seem to be able to rotate the photos - sorry..
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The leaves look a bit curly - have they got aphids on the back? I wouldn't worry about buds not opening, just a way of coping with the weather.
I'd also ease up on the watering, 10gallons seems an awful lot of water for each plant every other day.
Orange Pippin's site says - Usually a bucket of water once a week will be sufficient, but if the weather is hot and there is no rain it may be necessary to water every 2-3 days. Apply the water slowly so that it soaks right into the soil....... it is better to water periodically and allow the soil to dry out a bit between waterings. Fruit trees do not expect to be growing in perpetually wet soil. Over-watering can be just as harmful as lack of watering.
Buckets are commonly just 15L = 1gallon
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Thanks mumofstig - It was their suggestion that I increase the amount of water.
I had been giving them 5 gallons(ish) each twice a week, but Maureen (of Orange Pippin) suggested giving them more. It's not a problem, but I don't want to waste such a precious resource - especially as it's just been reported we may be in for another 3 months of excessive heat!
The apple I planted at the same time only gets about 5 galls a week as do the currants and raspbs, and they're growing well.
My concern is no bud break at all on the Beurre Hardy and only sporadic bud break on the other 2.