Why cracked pears on a tree

Often, gardeners have to deal with various problems when growing fruit and berry crops. One of these may be the cracking of a pear on a tree, often found on various varieties. There can be many reasons for this phenomenon, and each requires the right solution. After all, when pear fruits crack, they not only lose their appearance, but also become unsuitable for long-term storage and even for consumption.

Cracked pear fruits fall prematurely, deteriorate and dry out quickly

Why do pears crack on branches

When pear fruits crack, they lose their attractive appearance, and their quality also deteriorates. Such fruits can be picked from the branches and immediately used for consumption, but they should never be stored.

If the fruits do not just crack, but begin to rot and blacken, then they become unsuitable for food. Most of the crop is lost. You can avoid such trouble only by understanding its causes. They are different – from the development of diseases to varietal characteristics.

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Among the diseases that cause the appearance of cracks in the pear, scab is worth highlighting. This fungal infection is dark spots that lead to drying and tissue death. The tree ceases to form ovaries, and during fruiting, the development of fruits stops, they stop their growth. The skin dries out and cracks. And, if cracks were noticed on the pear in combination with dark spots, the entire tree should be inspected.

If signs of infection are found, treatment should be started immediately to reduce yield loss. After all, this fungal disease of the pear contributes not only to cracking of the fruit, but also to their decay.

For the treatment of pears from scab, copper-containing preparations (copper sulfate) and lime should be used, and Bordeaux liquid also helps well. The treatment of the affected tree is performed at least 2-3 times, and in case of severe infection – up to five times. After that, preventive measures are taken annually to prevent re-infection.

It is better to alternate drugs, as the scab ceases to respond to treatment over time

Changes in temperature and humidity

Sudden changes in temperature and excessive waterlogging of the soil can also be the reason why pears on a tree crack. Physiological changes occur due to the change from dry weather to rainy weather, which leads to an increase in pressure in plant tissues.

It is possible to help a fruit tree only by adding humus to the soil, which allows you to even out its moisture content. It is also recommended to mulch the trunk circle with compost or mowed grass, which will ensure the immediate evaporation of moisture from the soil.

Nutrient deficiency

To get a good harvest, you should provide periodic top dressing of garden plantings. If the nutrients are not enough, then this can affect not only the amount of fruit formation, but also their quality.

The appearance of cracks in the pear may indicate a lack of boron. In this case, the fruit hardens, and their skin bursts. This phenomenon is especially observed in gardens where sandy soil prevails. To eliminate the problem, you should periodically feed the pear with mineral complexes with the addition of boron. Foliar treatment of the tree in the rosebud phase with Ecolist Boron, diluted strictly according to the instructions, will also help.

A lack of calcium usually manifests itself in the darkening of the leaf blades, but with a severe shortage, the fruits may begin to dry and crack. To eliminate this reason, it is enough to treat the plantations with infusion of ash.

Timely fertilization will provide the pear with all the necessary nutrients.

Features of the variety

Even despite advances in breeding, it has not yet been possible to develop an ideal fruit tree variety. And if some are characterized by increased resistance to adverse weather conditions, while others have excellent protective functions, then they still have their drawbacks. For example, there are varieties of pears that are prone to cracks in the fruit with the slightest change in their growing conditions. Some of these include:

• Coke Orange;
• Ingrid Maria;
• Holsteiner;
• Boskop.

It is these varieties that are very sensitive to even the slightest temperature changes. Therefore, if there are no obvious signs of diseases and lack of nutrients, but the pear fruits still crack, perhaps this is due to the characteristics of the variety. In addition, those types of pears that have rough fruits are more susceptible to cracking.

What to do if pears on a tree crack

If it has been noticed that many pear fruits have cracked on the tree, you can try to save the remaining intact crop. The very first action is to correctly determine the reason why this phenomenon occurs.

If, in addition to cracks on the fruits, damage to the leaves, branches and bark was also found, then this indicates a disease. With visible dark spots, one can judge the defeat of fungal scab. Treatment is carried out with the help of copper-containing preparations. The affected areas and fruits are removed, and the tree is completely processed.

There are other diseases, for example, mollinosis (fruit rot). When affected by this disease, pears not only crack on the tree, but also rot. In this case, the only way to save the crop is by collecting and sorting. Then the tree is treated with chemicals. In preparation for winter, Bordeaux liquid and Abiga Peak are used, in the spring they carry out sanitary pruning and spraying with fungicides.

In addition to diseases, pear fruits can crack due to pests. The codling moth and weevil are considered dangerous. You can protect a fruit tree from insects by spraying with a decoction of field chamomile or wormwood.

Rotten and cracked fruits should be removed from the tree to prevent infection of other pears.

Prevention

In order not to run into a problem when pears begin to crack, blacken and rot, proper care should be taken. Also, do not neglect preventive measures that will prevent the development of diseases and protect the tree from possible ailments. Some of the necessary measures include:

• pruning, which is performed at least twice a season – in spring and autumn;
• cleaning last year’s leaves and dried fruits;
• top dressing – it is carried out at least three times per season: in the spring nitrogen-containing fertilizers are applied, during the flowering period they are fed with complex compounds, and in the fall they are limited to organic matter;
• improving the soil by timely removal of weeds and loosening, such actions will increase the aeration of the soil;
• treatment with drugs against the spread of diseases and pests;
• timely harvest, as overripe pear fruits may begin to crumble and crack.

Moderate watering of pears can also be attributed to a preventive measure to prevent the appearance of cracks in the fruit.

Conclusion

Pear fruits crack for various reasons, but in any case, this phenomenon becomes unpleasant and costly for gardeners. After all, a crop with a defect is unsuitable for long-term storage. Such pears should be consumed immediately or used to make jam, but they are unlikely to make compotes. Blanks made from deformed fruits often explode.