Flowering Pear Tree Care

Pear trees are ideal for landscaping and gardening purposes, all throughout the year. In spring, the white flowering pear tree can look more striking with their delicate, snowy white flowers. But, even in summer, they can add a touch of tranquility to their surrounding with their lush, glossy green foliage. Again, in the fall, this remarkable tree would turn red with its scarlet red foliage to create one of the fascinating sights to behold. This deciduous tree belongs to the genus, Pyrus and family Maloideae. There are mainly two species of pear, the fruiting and the flowering pear tree. Scientific name of the flowering pear tree is Pyrus calleryana, while that of the fruiting pear is Pyrus communis. As the name suggests, the fruiting pear tree is cultivated for its delicious juicy fruits, while the flowering pear is basically used for ornamental purposes.

Taking Care of Flowering Pear

Most of these trees maintain an oval or pyramidal shape while growing and they do not require much space. Some of its most popular types are, Bradford, Aristocrat, Redspire, Autumn blaze, Frontier and Chanticleer pear tree. So, if you are considering to plant a flowering tree, then first of all you have to decide about the specific variety. This decision would to a great extent depend on your personal choice as well the condition of the soil, where you are going to plant it.

Planting
The first thing that you have to consider, while planting this pear tree is the selection of a proper site. A place that receives full sunlight would be ideal for growing for this tree, as it prefers lots of sunlight. However, it can also be grown in a partially shaded area. As far as the soil requirements are concerned, you would need a slightly acidic soil, with pH ranging from 4 to 6.5. The soil should be moist and well-drained to ensure proper growth of the pear tree.

You can either go for the seeds or a small, young plantlet. But, be sure to select high quality seeds or plantlet. If you have opted for plantlet, then dig a hole of about four times the size of its root ball. Now, place the plant in the hole carefully and then cover with soil. As the plant requires moist soil, you can add some mulch around the planting site. Ideally 2 to 3 layers of mulch around the tree would be sufficient to ensure that the soil can retain adequate level of moisture.

Watering
As has been mentioned already, the soil should be kept moist for growing healthy pear tree. At the same time, over watering should also be avoided, as this can damage or rot the roots. The plant needs regular watering till it establishes itself in the soil. Once it becomes able to hold firmly on the ground, it would not need frequent watering.

Pruning
Pruning helps not only to maintain the shape of the tree, but also keeps it healthy and disease free. The ideal time is during winter and late fall, or in the spring, just when the tree stops blooming. Use sharp tools to remove the dead wood or branches that have grown out of control. Also, remove some inner branches to promote airflow and thereby, prevent invasion of fungus.

Some of the most common diseases of this problem are fire blights, which blackens the foliage of the tree, leaf scorch and fungal infection. Along with watering, mulching and pruning, identifying these diseases and their prevention is equally important. Equally important is to discuss with a professional about the application of fungicides, pesticides and other preventive measures, in order to protect these tree from these serious diseases.