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Strange Pear Harvet #889545

Asked November 08, 2024, 2:32 PM EST

Hi there, I have a pear tree that has produced “normal” pears for multiple years, that this year has produced a very strange crop. The pears are immensely aromatic, they are enormous, many have split, and they are all very hard. The pears do not ripen off the tree, but rather just brown and go bad. They are very mealy in texture and are not sweet. I’d love to know your thoughts on this! Thank you!

Washington County Oregon

Expert Response

Misshapen pears could be due to insect damage. To have it through the whole crop, though, makes me wonder about disease. Please provide a photo showing the insides of a couple of the fruit. The corking under a dimple might indicate which, if any, insect caused it.
I will also assign your question to the gardener who answered this prior question. See the links provided there. Perhaps an update on her crop will help you.
Hi Taylor- I looked at your pictures and first of all, they are Asian pears, which up until a few years ago were relatively problem free. The large size of the pears this year may indicate someone else has planted an Asian pear near yours, as cross-pollinated pears can be larger.

I see signs of insect damage, probably codling moth? If you cut open the pears do you find the core damaged and sometimes a small caterpillar inside? There can also be stink bug damage which causes hard spots in the pears, like biting into tiny rocks.

And finally, we had a really wet-then-warm-then-wet-then-warm spring which can be hard on Asian pears. And it also looks like you may have harvested a bit early, as they should be picked when yellow, not green. In California, they recommend 3 different harvest times to allow for ripeness. This could account for the lack of sweetness. If handled roughly, these pears will turn brown and go bad.

My recommendation is to spray or use some control measures for codling moth (see attached article), make sure the tree gets enough moisture over the summer and hope for a better crop next year!
https://pnwhandbooks.org/insect/tree-fruit/pear/pear-codling-moth

Good luck!
Rhonda Frick-Wright Replied November 08, 2024, 4:04 PM EST

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