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Pondering pears
garden-novice2
Posts: 2
in Talkback
We have a pear tree which has produced very large yellow pears which appear to be ripe (it's late October after all and they're falling off the tree) but hard inside and not sweet at all? Any idea what they are?
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Most pears do not ripen on the tree. You pick them hard and store for a few days and there is perhaps 24 hours when they are perfect, and drip juice down your chin. then they start to rot from the inside, and go woolly.
No way! Thanks fidgetbones, Any idea what the variety is?
Have you a picture?
The best way of identifying fruit is to take it along to one of the RHS identification days.
http://www.rhs.org.uk/Gardening/Advice/RHS-Advisory-Service/Fruit-identification
the most likely big yellow pear is a williams if it is sweet and juicy, but there is also a yellow acidic perry pear.....
Or maybe try an Apple Day. Look on the net, there may be one near you, though it's getting a bit late now. Also look on the Brogdale site. Or look at the photos on the fruit tree nursery sites.
At the expense of sounding patronising (which is not my intention at all), are you SURE it's a pear? Could it perhaps be a quince?
Just from the description you gave, it made me instantly think 'quince'.
after 3 years he might have found out ?
Good point Anomander
I love quinces but if someone hasn't seen one before they could well be mistaken for a very hard yellow pear.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
And there I've learned something new- I had no idea about Warden/Wardon pears Pansyface. As I was looking for answers about pears in general to see if anyone discussed the Bosc pear, I had a quick browse and came across this thread- the thought instantly sprung to mind Dove.
As I'm generally curious about unusual and interesting fruits/veg., the Warden/Wardon is now on my research list. Some species have indeed benefited from certain improvements but I believe that we are losing out by being flooded with species that are easier to mass-market, at the expense of some uniquely satisfying species. They can then quietly slip away into antiquity. I am very grateful Pansyface.