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Can pears be pollinated in windy conditions?

Question:

I live on a West facing hill in the west Midlands at 240m above sea level. I have been told that pears may not pollinate if it is windy which the site often is (SW- W). Is this likely to be the case. I was also wondering about trying to grow a Stella Cherry as a fan but not against a wall, just on some post and wires. Is this feasible?

Asked by: Paddy from West Midlands, 24-Jan-2012

Answer:

Pollination is carried out by insects, mainly bees - so if you see bees in early spring, or can do anything to encourage them by planting early spring flowers that will attract them, then you will be in with a chance. Planting a shelter belt, perhaps a hedge, will also help.

It is straightforward to grow a Stella cherry tree on a trellis. Make sure the posts are strong enough to withstand the wind. There are differing opinions on which way to orient a trellis, i.e. North-South vs East-West. In your case East-West might work better as that will have the least wind resistance. This would also work for pears as well.

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