10 Questions You Should to Know about Yellow Asian Pears

My asian pears (I have a 20th century tree) are not "lifting" and coming off the tree, so I used the clippers to cut one off. It was very sweet, but very firm. I cut about 26 off, leaving the rest on the tree. Should I leave them on or clip them off? This is my first harvest. The pears are kind of small, maybe between a golf ball and a tennis ball. I did thin them once. I thought that was enough, but I think now that it could be done at least twice.

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Little known a decade ago, Asian pears have become very popular, particularly at farmers markets. You can find as many as nine or 10 different varieties. Some late-season favorites include: Shinseiki, which has a very crisp texture and a flavor like honey, walnuts and flowers; 20th Century, another crisp pear that tastes like a sparkling combination of apples and citrus; Kosui, which has a vanilla undertone; and Chojuro, a buttery Japanese pear with a caramel sweetness.

How to choose: Asian pears feel hard as rocks, but they actually bruise quite easily. Russet varieties should be deep golden brown; smooth-skinned round fruit should be yellow, not green, and smooth-skinned pear-shaped fruit will be pale green.

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How to store: Asian pears need to be refrigerated.

How to prepare: You can cook Asian pears, but they are probably at their best eaten out of hand, to appreciate their delicate flavor.

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Asian pears (Pyrus pyrifolia) are known by many names&#;including Chinese, Japanese, Oriental, sand, and apple pear. There is confusion with the name &#;apple pear,&#; as it may lead people to believe that the Asian pear is a cross between apples and pears. Most cultivars of Asian pears resemble apples because they have round fruit and crunchy texture. However, the resemblance of these pears and apples stops there.

There are also several differences between Asian pears and the more common European pear (Pyrus communis). Asian pears reach optimum quality when allowed to ripen on the tree, similar to apples and peaches. European pears are usually harvested when green and allowed to ripen at room temperature. The color of ripe Asian pear ranges from yellow to yellow-green, depending on the cultivar. Asian pears will be crisp and juicy, with some tartness, especially near the core. European pears will be soft and juicy, with a sweeter, mellow taste.

Many Asian pear cultivars are available. The Japanese cultivars tend to be rounder while the Chinese cultivars are more oval or pyriform (pear-shaped). All Asian pear cultivars should be considered self-incompatible, which means another Asian pear cultivar will need to be planted as a companion for cross-pollination. Several cultivars are cross-incompatible, meaning they will not pollinate each other, so be sure the cultivars being planted will cross-pollinate and their flowering periods overlap. Generally, Chinese cultivars bloom a week or more before Japanese cultivars and are best pollinated with another Chinese cultivar.

Culture

Plant Asian pears in deep, well-drained soils in a location as frost-free as possible. Avoid sites that are prone to late spring frosts or provide frost protection where late frosts are likely. The chilling requirement needed by Asian pears to break dormancy is thought to range between 600 to 900 hours, although some studies show that specific cultivars may do well at less than this amount. The chilling requirement should not be a problem in most areas of South Carolina.

Plant trees at least 10 to 15 feet apart in fall or early spring. Mature trees can reach heights of more than 20 feet. There is no reason why Asian pears cannot be trained to a central leader system similar to European pear and apple trees. However, developing multiple secondary and tertiary scaffolds prevents tree death if fire blight (Erwinia amylovora) becomes a problem.

Pears do best in soils with a pH of 5.9 to 6.5. Having the soil tested before planting and following the resulting recommendations is vital. Pear trees should be fertilized annually using a split application. Apply a half to a third cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer per year of tree age with a maximum application of 8 cups per tree. Half the amount should be applied before growth begins and the other after fruit set. Broadcast each application over the area under the canopy delimited by the tree&#;s drip line. If the fruit set is poor, the second half of the fertilizer application does not need to be applied. Too much nitrogen may encourage succulent shoot growth which is more susceptible to infection by fire blight bacteria. For more information on soil testing, see HGIC , Soil Testing.

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If the trees are heavily pruned, reduce the amount of fertilizer applied in relation to the severity of pruning. Heavily pruned trees will likely not need fertilizer for a year or two. Also, if the pear trees grow too much vegetatively, the fertilization rate should be reduced for the following year. Shoot growth on bearing pear trees should average 12 to 18 inches annually.

Pruning

Fruit are borne at or near the tips of 1-year-old shoots on young trees. As the tree matures, most of the fruit are produced on spurs that develop on the scaffold branches (see photo below). Spurs are short shoots with clusters of fruit buds, and these have a productive life of about 10 years. Pruning should be done to remove about 10 percent of these terminal spurs every year. Additionally, pruning should be done in late winter (dormant) season. Spur pruning is necessary to improve fruit size.

It is important when commercial growers select an Asian pear cultivar to consider grafting it onto an appropriate rootstock. The rootstock should be resistant to or tolerant of soil pests (considering soil type) and be compatible with the soil pH, texture, and chemistry. One species of pear that works well as a rootstock for Asian pears is the birchleaf pear (Pyrus betulifolia). It is reported to be more cold hardy than Pyrus calleryana, another pear species used as a rootstock but has become an invasive species. Another important characteristic is that P. betulifolia is resistant to fire blight. However, it produces a very vigorous tree and produces root sprouts that have large &#;thorns&#;.

Asian pears are often hand-thinned twice during the early growing season. The home grower may choose to thin only once, which should be done 14 to 40 days after the petal fall. One fruitlet should be left on every other spur cluster or about 6 inches between fruits.

A limiting factor to good fruit production with Asian pears is that trees tend to set too much fruit. Heavy fruit thinning is essential to encourage large fruit and prevent limb breakage. Thinning should be done within 6 to 8 weeks after flowering when the fruit are the size of a dime.

For more information on pruning and training pear trees, refer to HGIC , Pruning and Training Apple and Pear Trees.

Problems

Fire blight, caused by a bacterium, is the most significant problem limiting the production of Asian pears. To help manage this disease, selecting resistant cultivars, adopting suitable sanitary measures, and avoiding excess nitrogen fertilization are essential. Prune infected branches 18 inches below the affected area and burn or bury all diseased material. Clean pruning tools between cuts with a dilute solution of household bleach (one part bleach to nine parts water). Remove blighted limbs during the dormant season when bacteria are less active. For more information on fire blight, refer to HGIC , Fire Blight on Fruit Trees.

Another bacterium disease, Pseudomonas shoot blight, occurs in South Carolina and can be confused with fire blight. Management practices used for fire blight should be effective for Pseudomonas shoot blight.

Several cultivars of Asian pears are being evaluated for disease resistance in South Carolina, but data are incomplete. Those that show some fire blight resistance are Shinko (best), Shin Li, Olympic, and Seuri. In contrast, Twentieth Century and Hosui are highly susceptible; however, Hosui is often used as a pollinator for Shinko and is a high-quality, early cultivar, so it is commercially planted despite its susceptibility to fire blight.

Another common problem prominent among pear trees is rust disease. Rust primarily affects leaves and young, developing fruits. Several rust diseases are known to attack commercial apples (Malus pumila), ornamental crab apples (Malus spp.), commercial pears (Pyrus communis), and ornamental pears (Pyrus calleryana) in the Southeast. Rust diseases can cause premature leaf drop and contribute to overall crop loss. For more information about rust disease, please refer to HGIC , Apple and Crabapple Diseases.

Codling moths and aphids are the most common insect problems in South Carolina.

Note: Chemical management of diseases and insects on large trees is usually not feasible since adequate coverage of the foliage with a pesticide cannot be achieved.

References:

1. Crassweller, R. (, June 21). Home orchard: why is there no fruit on my tree? Penn State Extension.
   https://extension.psu.edu/home-orchards-why-is-there-no-fruit-on-my-tree
2. Olson, J. (, March). Pear rust. Oklahoma State University Extension. https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/pear-rust.htmlj
3. Preserving Asian Pear (SP 50-694). (n.d.). Oregon State University Extension.
4. UC Davis(n.d.). Rootstock selection. https://iv.ucdavis.edu/files/.pdf

Originally published 09/99

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