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Asian pear question

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JS - 14 Jul 2008 19:20 GMT
I have few  asian pear trees on my backyard  (Hosui and 20th century).
According the information I found on the internet, the harvest time for the fruits is mid-August,
Does this mean they become totally ripened at that time?  or it is time to pick them up, and bring inside
the house - to prevent insect damage ?

I have noticed last year that insects destroyed several fruits.  Does this mean I picked them too late
in the season?

Thanks in advance,

JIMMY
Tom J - 14 Jul 2008 19:31 GMT
> I have few  asian pear trees on my backyard  (Hosui and 20th
> century).
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> time to pick them up, and bring inside
> the house - to prevent insect damage ?

I pick Heifers while they are still firm but changing color.  We can
ours so they need to be firm anyway to can. We usually can over a 2
week period.

Tom J
JS - 14 Jul 2008 20:04 GMT
>> I have few  asian pear trees on my backyard  (Hosui and 20th century).
>> According the information I found on the internet, the harvest time
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> Tom J

Tom,   I started to see some of the fruits got damaged by insects already.
Do you have such problem on yours?  I picked one yesterday, and it appeared
to taste almost ready -- sweet taste !!   Perhaps , that is the reason why
there is issues with insects?

Thanks,

Jimmy
Tom J - 14 Jul 2008 21:26 GMT
>>> I have few  asian pear trees on my backyard  (Hosui and 20th
>>> century). According the information I found on the internet, the
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> and it appeared to taste almost ready -- sweet taste !!   Perhaps ,
> that is the reason why there is issues with insects?

I've never had a bad insect problem. just a worn once in a while. If
you have a sweet taste already & fully formed pears, I'd say it's
picking time!! My Kiefers are not through growing yet. Note correct
spelling of the Kiefer.

Tom J
mleblanca - 15 Jul 2008 03:27 GMT
> >>> I have few  asian pear trees on my backyard  (Hosui and 20th
> >>> century). According the information I found on the internet, the
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
>
> Tom J

Thanks Tom I was wondering and amazed at pears so big that you
could call them Heifers!   <grinning>
Emilie
JS - 16 Jul 2008 02:11 GMT
Tom,   I posted one of the hosui that I believe is damaged by insects.  I
would love
to hear your comments.
Here is the image:   http://i35.tinypic.com/2809wn.jpg
I cleaned it all out, and then it was very sweet and tasty  though !!

I also have a 20th-century pear which so far I don't have an "insect"
problem yet.  Here is the image:   http://i36.tinypic.com/zjxu89.jpg

JIMMY

>>>> I have few  asian pear trees on my backyard  (Hosui and 20th
>>>> century). According the information I found on the internet, the
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
>
> Tom J
Tom J - 16 Jul 2008 02:18 GMT
> Tom,   I posted one of the hosui that I believe is damaged by
> insects.  I would love
> to hear your comments.
> Here is the image:   http://i35.tinypic.com/2809wn.jpg
> I cleaned it all out, and then it was very sweet and tasty  though
> !!

Just as I expected. These are ready for harvesting now.

> I also have a 20th-century pear which so far I don't have an
> "insect"
> problem yet.  Here is the image:   http://i36.tinypic.com/zjxu89.jpg

These haven't started changing color yet. They are still green and
insects are like us, they don't like green fruit for the most part.

Tom J
Rick - 16 Jul 2008 18:20 GMT
>Tom,   I posted one of the hosui that I believe is damaged by insects.  I
>would love
>to hear your comments.
>Here is the image:   http://i35.tinypic.com/2809wn.jpg
>I cleaned it all out, and then it was very sweet and tasty  though !!

This looks more like bird damage to me.  I can always tell when to
pick my Asian Pears- It's the day before the birds peck them!
-Rick

>I also have a 20th-century pear which so far I don't have an "insect"
>problem yet.  Here is the image:   http://i36.tinypic.com/zjxu89.jpg
[quoted text clipped - 25 lines]
>>
>> Tom J
JS - 17 Jul 2008 13:32 GMT
Rick, you may be right.  There are a lot of birds on my backyard.
I also have seen similar problem with my ripening tomatoes .
Any idea(s) to prove this hypothesis as  I may have blamed the wrong
intruder here.

Thanks,

JIMMY

>>Tom,   I posted one of the hosui that I believe is damaged by insects.  I
>>would love
[quoted text clipped - 35 lines]
>>>
>>> Tom J
I3 - 17 Jul 2008 22:15 GMT
Take a laddered-pair of pantihose and cover the tomatoes. Attach some
strands of tin-foil and your problem will go. Birds hate it, and they
cannot get their feet to attach to the pantihose.

> Rick, you may be right.  There are a lot of birds on my backyard.
> I also have seen similar problem with my ripening tomatoes .
[quoted text clipped - 46 lines]
>>>>
>>>> Tom J
sherwindu - 19 Jul 2008 08:10 GMT
>  I have few  asian pear trees on my backyard  (Hosui and 20th
> century).According the information I found on the internet, the harvest time
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> several fruits.  Does this mean I picked them too latein the season? Thanks in
> advance,   JIMMY

Jimmy,

Pears are a fruit that should be rippened off the tree.  After they start
to feel a bit soft at the stem, take them inside and let them ripen off
the tree.

                                    Sherwin
bae@cs.toronto.no-uce.edu - 19 Jul 2008 13:37 GMT
>>  I have few  asian pear trees on my backyard  (Hosui and 20th
>> century).According the information I found on the internet, the harvest time
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>to feel a bit soft at the stem, take them inside and let them ripen off
>the tree.

Asian pears, unlike European pears, are crisp when ripe and don't need
to be ripened off the tree like European pears.  They don't develop the
woody granular structures (sclerids) that European pears do, nor do they
develop the melting, buttery texture that has been standard in European
pears since the 18th century.

The best way to figure out when your pears are ripe is to try fruit at
different stages and decide which you like best.  Ripening dates are an
average for a particular region, and weather and microclimate can make
a substantial difference.  Your backyard is probbly quite different in
microclimate from a commercial orchard.

Another poster suggested that the damage was due to birds not insects.
You can get plastic bird netting at garden centres to drape over your
trees if they aren't too large.  In Japan, where people are willing to
pay amazing amounts for perfect, pesticide-free fruit, growers bag each
fruit individually to protect it from damage as it grows.  The bags are
made of that light porous row cover material, or light cloth. This may be
practical for a few backyard trees.  Don't use plastic bags, or you'll
cook the fruit!

Enjoy your harvest!
Tom J - 19 Jul 2008 15:49 GMT
>>>  I have few  asian pear trees on my backyard  (Hosui and 20th
>>> century).According the information I found on the internet, the
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
> need
> to be ripened off the tree like European pears.

Correct. If you wait for an Asian pear to feel soft at the stem, you
will never get pears that are ready to eat!! If they get soft, they
are rotten.

Tom J
Sherwin - 23 Jul 2008 07:09 GMT
>>>  I have few  asian pear trees on my backyard  (Hosui and 20th
>>> century).According the information I found on the internet, the harvest time
[quoted text clipped - 31 lines]
>
> Enjoy your harvest!

I have had only limited experience with Asian Pears, my tree died after
a few years.  You may be right about rippening them off the tree.
However, I disagree about putting plastic over them cooking them.  I put
ziplock bags on my European Pears and Apples with no problems.  Maybe
the fact that I cut slits in the bottom to drain rain water alos vents them.

                       Sherwin
Rick - 23 Jul 2008 17:47 GMT
>>>>  I have few  asian pear trees on my backyard  (Hosui and 20th
>>>> century).According the information I found on the internet, the harvest time
[quoted text clipped - 39 lines]
>
>                        Sherwin

I had heard about the waxed paper bags the Japanese use, but could not
find them here.  I think I'll try the zip lock bags.  You just cut a
small slit in the bag at the bottom?
sherwindu - 31 Jul 2008 06:22 GMT
> >>>>  I have few  asian pear trees on my backyard  (Hosui and 20th
> >>>> century).According the information I found on the internet, the harvest time
[quoted text clipped - 43 lines]
> find them here.  I think I'll try the zip lock bags.  You just cut a
> small slit in the bag at the bottom?

  Works great for me.  Yes, you need the slit (I do one on each side of the bag)
  to let the rain water drain out.  Put the bags on early, as soon as the fruit is
  easy to identify.  I pick the largest and healthiest fruit in a cluster and cut off
  the others.  This kind of thinning will produce large fruit and will put less
  stress on the tree.

                                       Sherwin
 
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