North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Alan Haigh <alandhaigh@gmail.com>]

I've been growing Asian pears in NY state for almost 25 years.  What Scott
says about about stink bugs is true but here, where we've been inundated
with the green ones, it's been peaches that have been hard to protect.
Some of the Asian pears get damaged but even this year, where most of my A.
pear crop was frozen out and I didn't bother spraying, half of the few
fruit that set are clean.  You just can't be sure that they will be
sprayless fruit.  I knocked the stinkbugs off my peaches with a couple of
pyrethroid sprays.

The University of Kentucky was testing Asian pears a few years back and
Korean Giant AKA Olympic was the one they rated most highly for quality.  I
believe it's pretty good at resisting FB as well.   You'll need another
Asian or early flowering Euro pear like Seckel for pollination.

I agree with Lee that it is best to grow them on vigorous rootstock.  I
prefer Bet. to any of the OHXF stocks because of its relative vigor.

One problem is that squirrels love them and often remove them long before
they get ripe.  Crows are also attracted to them on some sites.

To get good quality fruit you have to thin them like mad- not just one to a
cluster but one every 8 or 9 inches for the best fruit.

I used to love them, but now that I usually have an unlimited supply I've
kindof lost my palate for them and prefer the more interesting flavor of
Euro pears although that sweet juicy crunch can be refreshing.