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  • From: Marlin Burkholder <burkholders AT glenecofarm.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Hornet and Wasp damage to Asian pears
  • Date: Wed, 02 Sep 2015 21:01:20 -0400

Title: Re: [Market-farming] Hornet and Wasp damage to Asian pears



On 9/2/15 8:30 AM, "Richard Stewart" <rstewart AT zoomtown.com> wrote:
          I am curious about the cultivar and are they russets?  Or an earlier harvest non storing variety with thinner skin?

We have a variety of cultivars, Hosui, Chojuro, Shinsheiki, Kosui, 20th Century, and Korean Giant. Most have a golden yellow skin when fully ripe.  The Chojuros and Shinsheikis have a darker bronze or copper like color when ripe.  I use and sell them primarily for fresh eating.  I am assuming that the darker shaded ones are russet type.  We only have about a dozen trees and do not consider myself an expert as far as varieties and types are concerned.

We have been investing heavily in Asian pears, mainly russet style cultivars (Olympia and its equivalents with early bearing for pollination), for the very reason that they do not seem to have nearly the level of insect damage that the other pears do.

 We hope to sell some at market once we start seeing the right numbers.

I would be interested in knowing what those “right numbers” would be for you to start selling them at market.  I am getting $2.50/lb now at my market.  I should be getting  more but I have yet to get on top of the cedar-apple rust problem satisfactorily.

As soon as things dry out and then go into drought is when you see the most insect damage done.  We are in a the middle of a dry spell too, but we are irrigating our other fall crops, maybe the watering is acting a source of water for the insects so they are not attacking the pears?  Who knows.  We have this crazy heat spike after an amazingly wet year…wettest year ever recorded here.  Horrible for fruit production, but the Asian pears are troopers…even untreated with ANYTHING…the reason we decided to go this route is their resilience sans spray regime…you pick the right fruit for the right system.

Sounds like your season has been similar to ours.  I am amazed that I haven’t seen fire blight for the past several years despite not doing prophylactic spraying.  The only explanation I can think of is that about six years ago I got rid of my fire blight susceptible European varieties and replaced them with the fire blight resistant “Magness” variety.  But with all the apple and cedar trees growing around here I have to spray for the rust.

I would be curious to learn more should we see similar issues…we have seven days of 89+ highs with little chance of rain.  I may pick all the pears that are almost ready to be harvest to beat the curve and let the late season wait as normal and cross my fingers.

The second Hosui tree I picked this evening was not nearly as bad.  It had set a heavier fruit load and I had been too conservative with thinning so the fruit was smaller.  I also picked the Magness trees and they turned out better than I have ever seen them.  I have not picked the Chojuros yet.  From the eyeball they do not appear as bad.  I will know more in a couple of days.



Richard Stewart
Carriage House Farm
North Bend, Ohio

An Ohio Century Farm Est. 1855

(513) 967-1106
http://www.carriagehousefarmllc.com
rstewart AT zoomtown.com

You can follow us on Facebook or on Twitter @CarriageHsFm

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