Season and Tree Age

• Flowering pear trees bloom in the early spring to summer and maintain their flowers and foliage into late summer. They discontinue blooming in the fall and enter winter dormancy after frost descends. Lack of blooming at this time is a natural phenomenon. The University of Arkansas Home & Garden site notes that many flowering trees require three to five years of growth to bloom at all, and maintain only foliage up to that time.
  
  

Site and Space

• Decorative pear trees require bright sunlight, complete drainage and good air circulation for blooming. They also need adequate space for growth. The trees won't bloom in full shade or standing water, or in crowded or cramped growing spaces. Most flowering pears tolerate partial or filtered shade, but may not bloom as successfully in those locations. Keep flowering pears in bright, sunny locations with plenty of room for best blooming results.
  
  

Soil and Nutrition

• Flowering pears, as with their fruitful cousins, need quick-draining, moderately fertile soil for growth and blooming. Mix topsoil and organic compost into the soil at planting for good drainage, and give the trees compost amendments every spring. The University of Minnesota Extension recommends light fertilizer applications in the spring for pear trees. Give the tree nitrogen-rich fertilizer such as 20-0-5 or 33-0-0, according to the manufacturer's directions, for best growth and flowering.
  
  

Water and Mulch

• Flowering pear trees cannot produce blooms without adequate moisture and discontinue blooming when water grows scarce. Give the tree 1/2 gallon of water every week, and lay 3 inches of organic compost over the soil to maintain moisture.
  
  

Pruning

• Incorrect pruning eliminates flower buds and therefore disrupts the year's blooms. The University of Arkansas Home & Garden site notes that flowering pears require different pruning times than their fruiting cousins, and recommends thinning the trees only after the bloom finishes. Most flowering pears require little in the way of pruning and do best without this maintenance step.