After seeing my Korean Giant fruit and ripen I’m feeling pretty confident that some of the fruit will ripen in late July-early August. Some of the fruit will also ripen much later. The KG is a special treat around our house and it is the one they prefer. This one was sweet, crunchy, and full of juice.
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I have several Korean Giant grafts @mamuang sent me. They are at the top of the Housi tree and growing well but no fruit yet. Thanks for sharing this picture. I’m going to go home and inspect those branches to make sure I get some of that fruit! Well done.
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That’s one of 5 varieties I put on top of a callery pear. No fruit this year though.
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I think I’m in one of those locations that plays trick on the normal ripening times. Your KG might ripen late as publications indicate. I have some apples that also ripen early.
Thanks
No fruit yet but I grafted in a similar looking scion of Dripping Honey this year. I think it will be another large excellent tasting Asian pear.
Wow ripe so early. Korean Giant ripen in mid October here in Chicago land. I think this year the calendar was pushed back and fruits ripen a bit late. My Reliance peaches were ripe this time of the month last year. but they just started turning color few days ago . Snow Queen usually ripen earlier than Reliance does. But the Snow Queen fruits are still pretty hard now.
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Same here. KG ripens in Oct. The good news is it has a long ripening period, several weeks. I, sometimes, let a few hang into Nov.
Bad news, all animals love them, too. I caught raccoons, opossums and squirrels by putting a trap with bait right against the tree trunk.
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I would like to have more fruit ripen in October but right now I’m limited to Pink Lady and sometimes a few Goldrush.
Your southern heat and extended growing season seems like it’s doing wonders. I don’t think any Asian pear I grow would ripen for me at this time in PA, and certainly not Korean Giant.
If you’re looking for late ripening fruits, have you considered some of the persimmons or figs?
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I have one persimmon and one fig. Both are young so they should extend my fruit ripening time.
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i remember the 1st time I’ve eaten one of these. it was on bivouac in the Army in central Korea. 1990. we were on maneuvers and there was a pear orchard full of these pears wrapped in styrofoam protectors so they didn’t get damaged if they fell on the ground . we each filled or hats with some. right about then the farmer showed up and obviously wasnt happy. our squad leader pulled out a American 20 and gave it to him. he started smilling and offered us more of them. we bowed to him and respectfully declined. he probably got 5-6 times what he would at the korean markets for them. they were the most delicious pear I’ve ever eaten. the ones in the store here aren’t even close to the ones we picked that day 30 yrs ago.
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Nice bit of history. Thanks for sharing. The ones fresh off my tree are outstanding. I was underwhelmed with Asia pears until I tried these from my trees.
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As all you know that grows KG some of the fruit can get up to softball or grapefruit size. The larger ones on my tree are pushing the limit for a ziploc bags capacity. None of my KG have ever gotten to the grapefruit size but this might be the year.
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Bill,
I got a few up to 1 lb or a bit over. Those will burst open sandwich bags for sure.
I would like to warn you that every year squirrels bite on the biggest and juiciest A pears on my trees.
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Squirrels are my biggest concern. The electric fence wire I have down to prevent raccoons and opossums won’t help with them. I have a nearby hickory tree and they seemed to have turned their attention over to the nuts.
I have to fill my bird feeders so squirrels go for sunflower seeds instead of my ripening fruit.
Are we desperate or what?!!!
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I lost all my fruit last year. Asian Pear and Asian Persimmon. I bought some “Shorty Tube Traps” and seem to have cleared out the population of squirrels and chipmunks.
Auburn, I live 1.5 hours north of you (as the traffic flies on I-65)
Here are some pictures of fruit on my two trees that are producing. I am not sure of the variety since I was planning on memory and not tags. I bought them from the local and I think they are either 21st Century or Korean Giant. Are Olympic and KG the same?
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Welcome neighbor. Yes the two are the same.