To: nafex mailing list at ibiblio <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [nafex] Asian pears
Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2012 11:01:35 -0400
Asian pears are relatively easy to grow. They vary in fire blight
susceptibility. As I wrote in the Asian pear chapter of my book, Uncommon
Fruits for Every Garden,
"The ussurien pear is extremely cold-hardy, native to regions of Korea and
northern China where the mercury might plummet to as low as minus sixty
degrees Fahrenheit. The species generally does not produce high-quality
fruits---they are usually juicy with some tartness and sweetness, but lack
aroma and have many stone cells. The fruits are small and round. There are
some good-tasting cultivars, though, such as ‘Ta-Shian-Sui-Li’,
‘Chien-Pai-Li’, ‘Sian-Sui-Li’, and ‘An-Li’."
and
"Fire blight disease can be as devastating to some Asian pear cultivars as it
is generally to European pears. As implied by the name, infected plants look
as if they have been singed with fire: The leaves turn black and remain
attached, and the tips of succulent new stems curl over like shepherds’
crooks. One line of defense would be to plant disease-resistant cultivars
such as ‘Shinko’, ‘Seuri’, and ‘Ya Li’, or almost any of the ussurien pears.
Unfortunately, popular cultivars such as ‘Nijisseiki’, ‘Chojuro’,
‘Shinseiki’, ‘Okusankichi’, ‘Seigyoku’, and ‘Kikusui’ are susceptible."
Asian pears are generally very precocious and bear heavily so often don't
grow enough if on very dwarfing rootstocks. So use those rootstocks only
where you want to really restrict size, and thin out fruits aggressively when
the trees are young.
Books by Lee Reich:
A Northeast Gardener's Year
The Pruning Book
Weedless Gardening
Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden
Landscaping with Fruit
Grow Fruit Naturally