These plants need to be checked occasionally to be sure they are not allowed to dry out. In addition when we are having frosty weather where the temps drop below 32 F plants can dry out. In some cases you may need to water every 3-7 days. It is counter intuitive but when we have frost/thaw weather plants dry out more quickly when the temps stay above 35F. In any case don't keep plants too wet. especially container plants.

And I hate them!

How can anyone hate a wonderful tree like this? In addition to the fall color they are showy in the spring with a mass of white blooms. They also have an upright growth pattern that keeps the branches out of your way.

And I hate them?

The reasons in the first two paragraphs are the reason that nurserymen, landscape designers and landscape architects all over the country fell in love with them.

Now for the bad news.

Unfortunately for everyone that planted them or recommended them we found out a few things after they were 10 to 15 years old. One is their disconcerting bad habit of having big branches breaking out after a storm. Often this was one third to one half of the tree on the ground. By careful training early, the problem can be corrected. Unfortunately the city crews don't have time to get by often enough to do it and home owners either forget or don't know how to train the correctly. In any case they are almost never trained so they will stand up to the weather.

Secondly is fire blight. When they were introduced they were sold as fire blight resistant. Well they might be, but they do get a similar disease that affects them the same. After the bloom the disease enters the tree from the blossoms and causes dead branches and twigs all over the tree.

Thirdly they developed the bad habit of heavy berry production. Small green berries that create a terrific mess and germinate everywhere under the tree.

At my house I have two Bradford Pear street trees that are spectacular this fall and will be again this spring. I intend to enjoy them while I can but I realize "This too shall pass."

If you want one it is a special order tree for us and to get us to order it you have to pass a special test to be sure you know what you are doing.

Now is the time to do your winter pruning. If you are using the fruit bush techniques we recommend it is just a litle clean up pruning. If you are creating a full sized fruit tree come in and ask to see a book we have on fruit tree pruning.

Fruit Tree care has specific spray info.