Hello Kirsten,

That sounds incredibly frustrating, especially after such a promising bloom! Premature fruit drop in pear trees, particularly in a mature one like yours, can be caused by several overlapping factors. Here’s what might be going on and how to help your tree next season:

Why Your Pear Tree Dropped Its Fruit

Natural Fruit Thinning: Pear trees often shed excess fruit early in the season to focus energy on fewer, viable ones. But if all fruit dropped, something else is likely at play.

Environmental Stress: Sudden temperature swings, drought, or excessive rain during or after bloom can disrupt fruit development.

Over-fertilization or Pruning: Excessive vegetative growth can result from too much nitrogen (often from lawn fertilizers) or aggressive pruning, at the expense of fruit retention. More information at this link:

Home Orchards: Why is There No Fruit on My Tree?

Pollination Problems: Poor pollination, resulting from a lack of pollinators or incompatible varieties, can cause fruit to develop and then drop.

Pesticide Use: Spraying insecticides like carbaryl during bloom or shortly after can cause fruit drop in pears. More information at this link:

Home Orchards: Why is There No Fruit on My Tree?

Disease: Pear rust or other fungal diseases can damage young fruit, causing it to fall prematurely. More information at this link:

Pear Rust | Oklahoma State University

What You Can Do for Next Year

Avoid Fertilizing Near the Tree: Especially with high-nitrogen lawn fertilizers. Pear roots can absorb nutrients from the surrounding soil. More information at this link:

Home Orchards: Why is There No Fruit on My Tree?

Prune Thoughtfully: Use thinning cuts rather than heading cuts to avoid stimulating excessive leafy growth. More information at this link:

Home Orchards: Why is There No Fruit on My Tree?

Water consistently, especially during dry spells in spring and early summer.

Check for Disease: Look for signs of pear rust—orange spots on leaves or fruit—and remove nearby junipers if needed, as they can host the fungus. More information at this link:

Pear Rust | Oklahoma State University

Skip Certain Sprays: Avoid using carbaryl or similar insecticides during bloom or early fruit set. More information at this link:

Home Orchards: Why is There No Fruit on My Tree?

Consider Growth Regulators: Some studies suggest that foliar sprays of plant growth regulators, such as NAA (naphthaleneacetic acid), can reduce fruit drop and improve yield when applied at key stages. More information at this link:

Improving the productivity and reducing the drop percentages of fruits in pear by the external application of some plant growth regulators :: BioResources

I hope it helps!