Question
Hi - we bought a home that had 3 pear trees already in place. Last late summer/fall, they produced many pears. They were very sweet and tasty, except the pears were very knotty inside....there was a knot about every inch inside the pears. I am not sure what specific kind of pears they are, but it was disappointing. What would cause this and can it be prevented?

Also, any advice on planting cherry trees? (fruit bearing). We hope to plant "bing" type trees for snacking (not sour or baking).

Should we be spraying or fertilizing our fruit trees?

We live in Northern VA, not very farm from Washington, DC (20132 area code).

Thanks for any help! Linda

Answer
Hi Linda:
The symptoms that you describe on your pears may be a virus disease called pear stoney pit virus. Check this out on "Google" images to compare how your fruit look.  The fruit becomes deformed and gnarly with hard areas within.  As with all virus diseases on plants, there is no cure once the plants become infected.  Some varieties of pear show symptoms more so than others.

Sorry, I am not too up on planting cherry trees. Contact your local nursery or garden center (not the large box stores) for that information.  These folks can often suggest good techniques and care for these trees in your area.

Regards
Steve