George Shirley wrote:
>
>Two winters ago we had an orange tree and a pear tree killed by frost.
>Both ended up as smoking wood.

What kind of pear tree gets killed by frost... do you mean alligator
pear (avocado)? Most true pear trees will luxuriate in temperatures
down to -30ºF. A frost while blossoming may obliterate the crop but
won't harm the tree at all... may even strenghten it as it redirects
its energy from fruit production.