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["Michelle Horner" <shelly2@wi.rr.com>]

My pears are some of my original dwarf orchard that I planted in 1995: Seckel and Orcas.  The Seckel has gotten about 12 blossoms each year for the last 4 years.  Seckel, zilch.  Finally, last spring, in total disgust I put the stupid thing in serious bondage.  While the limbs were spring limber I pulled every one of them down to close to horizontal:  used a piece of panty hose on the limb end to spread out the force and staked them into the ground on the other end of my twines.  I papered and mulched so I wouldn't have to deal with weeds during the summer, with all the stakes around the tree.  Bingo!   This spring the tree is loaded with blossoms.  I plan to do the same to its compatriot to stimulate a little more enthusiasm for blossoming also!  The shape is much better also.  Pears really do grow really vertical.

And we all thought that was an old wives tale!

Sincerely,

MIchelle Horner  zone 4/5  SE Wis