Pear tree blues

This spring, I noticed that our pear trees were not their usual happy selves. Not long after they were full of blossoms, many of the new leaves that followed the flowers turned brown, and clumps of them curled toward the ground. Alarm bells really began to ring in my head when, after the first windy day in June, our yard looked like autumn had arrived. The heat of early July only made the trees look sadder yet.

So I called an arborist who came to see what was going on. He confirmed my worst fears -- that both of our pear trees were suffering from Fire Blight, and that he had noticed other trees in the area with the same malady, including our neighbours' apple trees next door. Fire Blight is caused by a bacteria that is easily spread by birds flying from tree to tree.

The arborist suggested that we allow him to inject the tree with a bactericide that will act systemically and hopefully get rid of the blight, a better option than full tree removal, at least until we know the trees can't be cured. It's been successful in other places, and it was our only hope to save the trees.

Unfortunately, the injection happened sooner than expected. We were away, and unable to water our trees as recommended to improve the uptake of the "medicine." I gave them a good watering once I got home, but was it too little too late? I'm still feeling a bit worried about our trees and their wonderful fruit, and because of the bactericide, we can't eat or share pears this year or next, until the trees are pruned sometime in the winter of 2022-2023.

If you've ever sat with me in the shade of the pear tree outside my kitchen window on a sunny spring, summer, or autumn day, or tasted the delicious little pears, you'll understand my pear tree blues. It's a gorgeous little tree that provides a lot of beauty to our yard, and jams and loaves that we enjoy all year round. All we can do now is live in hope that both trees will recover, and we'll continue to enjoy their shade and taste that sweet fruit again in two years or so. 

So this post is a momentary lament, and an apology to those who enjoy our pears each fall. I'll keep you posted on our trees' progress, and hopefully, the news will be good!