We have lots of pears that do well in Dallas. Ayers, Keiffer, Warren, Orient, Crisp&Sweet; and maybe Monterrey, Gem, LeConte, Pineapple. But fb has killed half the varieties I’ve tried.
What do you think of Gem. Is it low chill enough for you? How many chilling hours do you typically get?
Marcus
3rd leaf, 2 pears if I can keep the squirrels at bay. There were a few at 2nd leaf too but they dropped. Haven’t tasted one yet. No fb at all, no pear rust which has become a problem for me. We get 700-800 hours
1 Like
Keep us posted as to what you think. In addition I keep hoping someone who gets 500 to 600 hours will try it. I would except I’m totally out of space. God bless.
Marcus
My Tennessee Pear tree only filled one five gallon bucket with pears this year as opposed to two buckets last year. However the individual pears are bigger, and the quality is a little better. They are still my sweetest pear but they are astringent with distinct bitterness in the flavor profile. I have a cousin who wants me to make low sugar pickled pears this year. I think I will use these since they are so sweet anyway.
This may be the biggest pear that my Tennessee Pear tree has ever produced. It’s not huge, but its a monster for a Tennessee pear. Tennessee is the only pear tree that made larger than normal pears this year despite all the trees having smaller crops than normal.
Tennessee bloomed in dribs and drabs this year. We got only 525 chilling hours. I think this variety really needs 600 chilling hours to truly bloom properly.
10 Likes
I just ate my first LeConte Pear for the season which reminded me why it is one of my favorite southern varieties. The one that I ate fell off the tree on its on. It was tree ripe, not soft ripe. Still, the flavor was fabulous. The individual pears are not as big this year as last probably due to the April -May drought we had this year. But as you can tell from the photo, the pears are plenty big.
8 Likes
Unless something goes badly wrong, Goldenboy will be the star of the pear harvest again this year as usual. It has the most pears but not as many as last year. The size of the pears is about the same as last year but the quality looks like it will be a little better. When people around Statesboro ask me to recommend a pear tree for them. My answer is that if you have space for only one tree, the answer simply has to be Goldenboy. It beats LeConte by a nose simply because it’s a bigger, faster growing, more productive tree.
9 Likes
My information lists Moonglow at 400-500 chill hours
1 Like
Not only does LeConte taste great here, it’s had no problems with pear rust for 2 years, unlike Keiffer and Ayers
4 Likes
I have a tree topworked with I believe is Ayres. I don’t know when to pick them. I have let them ripen on the tree until soft. They were good but I lost a lot to squirrels, birds, and wasps. Should I pick them green and refrigerate them? If so what are the indications it’s time to pick? Should I cut one open and look for mature seeds? Any advice is appreciated.
2 Likes
You should pick them when they begin to change color. If they break off easily when you raise them to a right angle of how they are hanging, that means they are ready to be taken in. Most varieties will ripen just fine in a week and a half if stored in a bucket in a 75F room.
2 Likes
That’s what I did in late August. I don’t know if it was necessary but I put them in the fridge for a week. They lasted for about three weeks before going bad. I was able to eat most of them first.
2 Likes
LOL! That answers all the questions anyone needs to ask about shelf life.
1 Like
I just this found this photo of Tennosui Pear online. My tree looks like it’s going to bloom for the first time this coming spring. Has anyone here gotten any pears from a Tennosui yet? I know it’s brand new. If so, what do you think?
6 Likes
Here’s a few pictures I dug up of my Tennosui pears. Not exactly great photos. We washed the suckers off and took them with us to Yellowstone. Second year in ground from Just Fruits And Exotics. It had a ton of blooms, but 4 pears I believe ripen up.
10 Likes
Pretty! How was the flavor?
1 Like
My son liked them. I think they might have been picked a little early. They were pretty crunchy and not too sweet. Tasted similar to one of the ripe, green spotted ones you’d find in a Walmart. Barlett maybe? Seems like it’s going to be a good one once I get a larger harvest and figure out the best time to pick it. I’m happy with it!
3 Likes
When did it ripen? When did it bloom? Where are you located?
1 Like
My Tennosui’s looked like Chads. Also from JFE so no surprise. Tasted like Hosui to me, better fb resistance. I got a dozen from the tree in 3rd leaf. I’m in Dallas, close to Chad
2 Likes
I don’t know that I have ever had a Hosui, but I understand it’s one of the very best Asian type pears. Here’s hoping my Tennosui produces this coming year.
Marcus
2 Likes