Q: We planted pear trees four years ago; they have yet to bloom. They grow and leaf out each year, but no fruit. What are we doing wrong? Any ideas.

A: Sometimes plants behave in ways that are inscrutable to gardeners. My guess is that the tree is still establishing its root system. This takes lots of energy, so your tree simply forgets about flowering because it’s an additional energy drain. Avoid fertilizing heavily. Fertilizer makes a tree grow more leaves, but at the expense of flowers. My advice is to keep the trees healthy, watering in drought, and see what happens next year.