[HLS]

I've got a very small pear tree in my back garden.  It was planted by the last owners of the house, so I'm not sure what the variety is, but the pears look sort of conference-shape (apart from the one that's sort of banana-shaped!).  Last year I couldn't tell when the pears were ripe so I picked them anyway about this time of year.  There were three pears which felt identically firm - one was delicious, one was still a bit hard, and the third might as well have been made of wood!

This year I have six pears, so I'd like to do better.  How do I tell when they're ripe?

[Yorkie]

With apples, they are ripe when you cup them in your hand, lift them up and twist, and they come off the tree like that.

Don't know if the same applies to pears though

[gillie]

Pears ripen from the core outwards, which makes it difficult to tell when they are just right.  If you leave them until they feel ripe the inside is liable to be over ripe or 'sleepy'.  Apples ripen from the outside in, which makes things a lot easier.

I pick my Beurre Hardy pears when they snap off the tree reasonably easily, but not as easily as an apple, I take them indoors for a few days to finish and eat them when the flesh at the stalk end is just softening slightly.  However I do not always judge it correctly - ripening pears is an art - and with only six pears I am afraid you will not get it right all the time.  Stand by to stew some with brown sugar and cinnamon!

Cheers,

Gillie

[sunshineband]

Pears will ripen quite well in the fruit bowl if picked unripe. As gillie said, it is difficult to judge it exactly right from the tree. I find smelling them before eating quite helpful (not while they are on the tree of course  )

[HLS]

Thanks, all - I shall go and see whether they want to come off the tree.  Frankly I'm just pleased to have some home-grown pears at all, especially as it's such a tiny tree!

[gillie]

Is this tree happy?  Is it growing well?  Is it flowering well, even if it is not fruiting much? Has it got a pollinator? 

Assuming it is a Conference, it is partly self fertile, but will do better with a friend.  I think I read somewhere that the 'banana' fruit is caused by poor pollination.

Cheers,

Gillie

[HLS]

It is happier than it used to be, but still not what I'd call vigorous.  I don't know how old it is, although I think the previous owner would have mentioned it if it had just been planted, which would make it a minimum of four years since it's been in this garden.

When we moved in, it was about five foot tall, with one single branch/trunk going straight up (can't remember what that shape of tree is called) which had been broken or cut at the top, and a tiny branch coming out sideways about halfway up.  It had been planted next to two large leylandii which cut off the light and were presumably taking most of the nutrients, and was looking rather sad.  At that point it had apparently never produced more than one pear.  (There was also a tiny apple tree, but that really was past rescuing, so we had to take that out).

We cut down the leylandii and gave the pear tree some food and compost, and it's been looking healthier since then - it has more leaves, more blossom, and despite the fact that six pears doesn't sound very much I'm surprised that it's even got that far.  The main upright branch has never grown higher, as it's been cut or broken, but the single smaller branch has grown and has four of the six pears.  This means the tree is a bit of an odd shape, but since it can't grow upwards I'm not sure I can change that.

I'd certainly consider getting another small pear tree, provided I can find somewhere to put it!

[gillie]

I thought it might be starved - but you obviously have the matter in hand.

It sounds as though it had not moved much since it was planted as a maiden.  Pear trees tend to go straight up and I expect this one will produce a side shoot which will take over from the cut/broken leader and start sky rocketing.  Then you will have to start reading the pruning manuals.

Cheers,

Gillie

[HLS]

Thanks for the advice - I'll start reading up on pruning!