Pears dropping off - Is it Normal??

[lizzyf]

I have a pear tree which is 5 or 6 years old. Last year not one single pear but this year it is laden with pears to the extent that I wondered if I should remove some to thin the crop out. However, after this mornings heavy rain, I have found that a lot have dropped off, mainly the smaller ones - 63 in all. There is still loads of fruit on so I wondered if this was a natural thinning or is it something I should be concerned about. The tree itself looks OK

Any advice would be much appreciated

Lizzy

[chris]

June drop possibly? Or the rain just battered them off

[FB.]

Probably natural thinning - known as "The June Drop" - which gets rid of damaged, poorly pollinated or fruits greater in number than the tree is able to bring to maturity.
Any thinning is best left until after the June drop because in some varieties of fruit the number of fruitlets dropped can be considerable.

With many parts of the UK having a cool dull spring and summer causing a lot of plants to be late this year, the June drop might continue into the first week or two of July.

[lizzyf]

Thanks FB and Chris - I had not heard of June drop but it all makes sense

Regards

Lizzy

[muddyfeet]

Ooh! I hope mine don't have a June drop, there's only 2 pears on. (It is just a new tree)