Question
The chanticleer pear tree on my property was planted approximately 4-5 years ago.  It did well the first few years with beautiful white blossoms in the spring and deep green foliage through the summer months then reddish color in the fall.  For the past 2 years it has had beautiful white blossoms in the spring but then the leaves remain a pale green and don't seem to entirely develop.  There are no brown spots anywhere on the leaves or tree trunk.  There are tiny (fruit?)on the ends of the stalks that are not developing into leaves as in past years. Tree looks sparse. Clay soil.  Is tree or soil lacking certain nutrients ?

Answer
Diane:
Pale leaves can indeed be an indicator of poor fertility or other root related issues. See if you can get a soil test done on the soil. Contact your local garden center/nursery for that information or contact your local county agricultural Extension office (each county in every state in U.S. usually has an office). A soil test helps to identify what elements may be out of balance. OR, you can try a good general tree fertilizer that is good for trees and shrubs. The clay that is in your soil will have a tendency to hold water, so be sure to be careful about watering too much or not enough.  Most trees and shrubs don't like wet feet for a long time. It can lead to stress and diseases.
Steve