We have three pear trees of varying ages in the backyard. Something has obviously confused the Winter Cole. It didn’t have a single flower this year. Pears can be rather biennial in their fruit bearing, but this is dramatic. Compare and contrast:

L-R:

20th Century Nashi, Winter Cole, Williams

Much of the blossom of the nashi is actually hiding under the leaves. The Williams had a rest year for the 2012 harvest, only about 10 kilos of fruit which was good as we were still eating the bottled fruit from a bumper harvest in 2011 up until a month ago. That tree must be about 10-12 years old.

The Winter Cole is in the sunnier spot of the three, and was planted in the same year as the Nashi about 3 years ago. For a while I wondered if it might be the close proximity of the rabbit cage (and their droppings), but the Nashi has had them alongside for much longer. There has been quite a bit of green growth on the Winter Cole to make up for the lack of blossom.

Ideas anyone?