Content
Gardeners often have to face various problems when growing fruit and berry crops. One of these may be cracking of the pear on the tree, which is 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, spoil and dry out quickly
Why do pears crack on the branches?
When pear fruits crack, they lose their attractive appearance and their quality also deteriorates. Such fruits can be collected from the branches and immediately used for consumption, but under no circumstances should they be stored.
If the fruits do not just crack, but begin to rot and turn black, then they become unsuitable for food. Most of the harvest is lost. You can avoid such trouble only by understanding its causes. They are different - from the development of diseases to varietal characteristics.
Scab
Among the diseases that cause cracks in pears, scab is worth highlighting.This fungal infection appears as dark spots that cause tissue to dry out and die. The tree stops forming ovaries, and when fruiting occurs, the development of fruits stops and they stop growing. The skin dries out and cracks. And, if cracks along with dark spots were noticed on the pear, the entire tree should be inspected.
If signs of infestation are detected, treatment should be started immediately to reduce crop loss. After all, this fungal disease of pears contributes not only to cracking of the fruits, but also to their rotting.
To treat pear scab, you should use copper-containing preparations (copper sulfate) and lime, and Bordeaux mixture also helps. The affected tree is treated at least 2-3 times, and in case of severe infection - up to five times. Afterwards, preventive measures are carried out annually to prevent re-infection.
It is better to alternate medications, since scab eventually stops responding to treatment
Changes in temperature and humidity
Sudden changes in temperature and excessive waterlogging of the soil can also cause pears to crack on the tree. Physiological changes occur due to the change from dry weather to rainy, which leads to an increase in pressure in the tissues of the plant.
You can help a fruit tree only by adding humus to the soil, which allows you to even out its moisture.It is also recommended to mulch the tree trunk circle with compost or mowed grass, which will ensure immediate evaporation of moisture from the soil.
Nutritional deficiencies
To get a good harvest, you should provide periodic fertilizing of garden plants. If there are not enough nutrients, this can affect not only the amount of fruit formation, but also their quality.
The appearance of cracks on the pear may indicate a lack of boron. In this case, the fruit hardens and its skin bursts. This phenomenon is especially observed in gardens where sandy soil predominates. 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 pink bud phase with Ecolist boron, diluted strictly according to the instructions, will also help.
A lack of calcium usually manifests itself in darkening of the leaf blades, but with a severe deficiency, the fruits may begin to dry out and crack. To eliminate this cause, it is enough to treat the plantings with an infusion of ash.
Timely application of fertilizers 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 the ideal variety of fruit tree. 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 have a tendency to develop cracks in the fruit at the slightest change in their growing conditions. Some of these include:
- Cox Orange;
- Ingrid Maria;
- Holsteiner;
- Boskop.
These varieties are very sensitive to even the slightest temperature changes. Therefore, if there are no obvious signs of disease or lack of nutrients, but the pear fruits still crack, this may be due to the characteristics of the variety. In addition, those types of pears that have rough fruits are more susceptible to cracks.
What to do if pears crack on the tree
If it has been noticed that many pear fruits have cracked on the tree, you can try to save the remaining undamaged crop. The very first action is to correctly determine the reason why this phenomenon occurs.
If, in addition to cracks on the fruit, damage to leaves, branches and bark was also found, then this indicates a disease. If dark spots are visible, you can judge the infection with fungal scab. Treatment is carried out using copper-containing drugs. 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 harvest can only be saved by collecting and sorting. The wood is then treated with chemicals. In preparation for winter, Bordeaux mixture and Abiga Peak are used, and 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 your fruit tree from insects by spraying it with a decoction of field chamomile or wormwood.
Rotten and cracked fruits should be removed from the tree to prevent contamination of other pears.
Prevention
To avoid problems when pears begin to crack, turn black and rot, you should take proper care of them. Also, do not neglect preventive measures that will prevent the development of diseases and protect the tree from possible ailments. Some necessary measures include:
- pruning, which is performed at least twice per season - in spring and autumn;
- cleaning last year's leaves and dried fruits;
- fertilizing - 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 soil aeration;
- treatment with drugs against the spread of diseases and pests;
- timely harvesting, as overripe pear fruits may begin to crumble and crack.
Moderate watering of pears can also be considered a preventive measure to prevent 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 compotes are unlikely to be made from them. Preparations made from deformed fruits often explode.
