add Mehrabyan Nursery to the list
4 Likes
For me the main attraction of Chojuro is that its a dependable bearer here. Sometimes they are very good, like this year, but I waited too long to pick them because they still feel pretty hard when they are optimal.
Hosui is the best I’ve tasted of the dozen or so varieties I’ve tried. Although I’ve had bland ones from the farmer’s market before. My Hosui is the shyest bearing. I think I need to spray for blossom blast in the spring because the one year I did that coincidentally ended up bearing some fruit 
3 Likes
I wanted to ask about good Asian Pears for my area.
I’m planning on growing two A. pears at my place up in Del Norte County, California, zone 9a-b. I already have a (very low production) fruiting Bartlett pear that I might be close enough act as an additional pollenizer. Thus far, the hype has been pointing me towards Dripping Honey and KG, but it sounds like climate matters so I thought to ask. Similar what Someet was asking earlier, my interests lie in sweet, crispy, juicy, and preferably thinner skin, which sadly ensues some doubt in KG, but still workable. In reality, I think the thicker skin is manageable if it the pear really is that good, but help convince me of the variety’s virtue. I would like to consider storeablity as well because sometimes I’m away for the month things ripen and I don’t want it to cost me my year’s harvest.
To sum it up, a good alternate apple with storeablity is kinda what’s in mind. I’ve actually never thought of a pear filling that role until reading this thread.
Just to add something other than pure questions, before writing this I tried some of the A. pears I have at my place down by Santa Rosa. Maybe my third time trying, but my first time appreciating them. (Camera over yellowed the fruit)
Although not at all the normal crisp, I nearly devoured 3 nice ones just while walking around. The first two I picked off the tree (rotated them just over 90° as mentioned by ztom). They were very sweet, like sugar bombs; the one I measured was at 18 brix. They melted in your mouth with a touch of juice, but had some mealiness. The third one I tried (pictured above) I picked up off the ground. While I’m not the biggest fan soft apples, and would think similar of pears, that one was impressive.
A perfect, smoothest, butter-like texture, and maintained the slightest bite to keep it firm but tender. It was even sweeter than the others. A touch of juice with some complexity in an interesting underlying flavor was also present. Finally, I shoved that thing down, and if I could now get something crispy, it’s a new Disneyland.
4 Likes
Grandpasorchard.com looks like they updated their list of trees. Few weeks ago, when you click on the available trees, nothing would come up.
It looks like they have a good variety of Asian pears including that new Juicy Jewel one.
Everything I’ve gotten from them has been great in the past and they respond fairly quickly to email as well.
I have no room but i may get a few more trees from them next year 
2 Likes
I went there and it says -
We are working hard on our entire Spring 2025 Inventory and will have it available by early December! We will have a full lineup of all our regular varieties, along with several new additions. Please check back in early December to see our varietal listings and to place online orders.
Unless i missed something… gotta wait until December to see what they have for sale.
1 Like
I think they may already be putting the varieties up because a few weeks ago if you clicked on their fruit, it came with up a blank page.
Unfortunately. I had several crack and sour with a dry spell followed by extremely heavy rains we got. Then the remaining 3 fruit were harvested by a squirrel 
Next year, I will win!
The tree itself is definitely less rust resistant than my other Asians. I would say more on par with the most rust resistant Europeans I currently grow.
I dont spray here at all.
It did get what I believe to be a fireblight strike as well but she seems to cork herself off from continuous damage, like my Honeysweet does. I was able to remove the strike and all seems well again for now.
3 Likes
I kept the hopes up and was defeated at the end of the season every year
1 Like
At my 1st orchard, 2012-13 years were my 1st results in sampling and Hosui and Chojuro were all I had and liked them. This year Is my 1st year of sampling a few others that fruited. I’m impressed by Kosui being super sweet. I picked a sun exposed and golden shin li the 20th of september, put in a fridge for a couple days and meh… super disapointed. Went back Oct 4 and they were very good but a little gritty. Picked the last on Friday the 11 of Oct. They are excellent, less grit, deeper flavor, browning juice…
Worth the wait.
4 Likes
Shin Li are not golden. You sure that’s what they are? Mine ripen super late here.
Im thinking it was just sun burned on that side. Lol
1 Like
I’ve had pears off all three of my asain pear trees now. They seem to do really well here in NW IA even though I was worried it might be too cold. Out of my 30 or so fruit trees, I’ve been growing for about 7 years now, these give me fruit every year and alot of it. I by far prefer shinseiki the most, chojoro second korean giant 3rd. Shinseki are very good, chojoro are pretty decent and korean giant has been a little disappointing. I feel like korean giant ranks very high for most so i wonder if mine are ripening all the way. They tend to end up on the ground by early october so i usually end up picking them.
5 Likes
Chojoro seems controversial. I have a 2 year old tree and got a couple fruit last fall but wasnt impressed; watery and very hard. But people frequently mention it as a favorite so maybe it depends on your area. And maybe they will get better as the tree matures. I grafted several varieties this spring so maybe ill have more options next year
My Juicy Jewel has no flowers this year. It actually got girdled pretty bad this winter, so I took some wood and grafted backups. Has anyone set fruit on juicy jewel for this year ?
1 Like
Digging up this thread hoping for some reports on Juicy Jewel. Anyone have enough harvests yet to make a report?
I planted two of these in my backyard since it’s what the nurseries are carrying where I live, but mainly planted them to start building root system on which to graft other varieties to. One of them I grafted to Korean giant this year.
My end goal is to have KG, Shinko, Chojuro, Shinseiki, and Drippin Honey. Basically trying to decide whether I should give the remaining Juicy Jewel a chance or just graft it over to one of the well-known varieties next spring. I do have enough space to do it all, although I’m coming up on completing a cohesive landscape layout and am still considering adding a pair of apples or quince, so want to be efficient about the space use.
I’m having serious rust problems on mine. This was my second year of fruit.
The fruit splits with rain and spoils on me very easily. I still haven’t gotten any worthy samples to make a proper assessment.
I’m also not happy with the rootstock it’s on in my location.
That being said it’s getting the Ax.
Dripping honey, Korean Giant ,chojuro, Deveci and others all perform vastly better for me from the start.
Dom
1 Like
Not just the area. Some years awesome, other years fodder from the same tree.
Dang, ok. Thanks for the info
Cummins did a nice review of it… (their channel is hugely unwatched).
8 Likes
@Codym17 fellow NW Iowan here. I’ve heard from some that chojuro are one of the least cold hardy Asian pears. I’m somewhat surprised (but excited) to hear that they’re soing well for you.