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My pearshave cracked ... they are still small and are starting to rippen, but have developed large cracks (half a centimeter or so in width) often all round / top to bottom.

Is it due to so much rain? Are they swelling with water and cracking quicker than they can grow?

Any theories?

yup i would reckon thats lots of rain after a dry spell.

Has there been a dry spell in Wales?

My cherries split but given that the only dry spell we had was in April, which was around the time they were flowering, it seemed very odd. So I don't know the answer as to why the pears have split at this point in time.

Millymollymandy wrote:Has there been a dry spell in Wales?

Unbelievable - but we were praying for rain/doing rain dances/swearing at the weather forecast which had nothing but dry weather to predict earlier this year... Mind you, that was March to May, I think.

Funny coincidence - I just went to have a look at my pears yesterday and found some of mine cracked too - but more fissuring than splitting and the skins were hard and rough. I picked them off and chucked them.

Also noticed some damsons split open too! There are lots going mouldy so at this rate there won't be many/any left to make jam from when they are ready to pick at end of August.

Dry spell? -- not in living memory :)

Actually we did have a lot of hot weather in April and the tree is at the top of a very well drained bank with a large drainage ditch to one side, so that may well explain it.

Thanks all.

I guess that could be it, especially if the drainage ditch has been waterlogged since May!

usualy fruit split happens after a large dump of rain in warm weather.

I found out why my pears were split - it is scab that causes it as well as the scabby patches on the skin surface which is the usual indication of scab.

Thankfully my 2nd pear tree harvest looks good - half the spare fridge is now full of conference pears!

Being the Boozer that i am ide say make Perry - like cider from pears - could even use your splits so long as they havent rotted or become infected with the vinegar bug (you can tell by the smell)