Tag: Pear Trees

Scab is a disease that impacts European pears worldwide, and it’s a serious, devastating problem for commercial and home growers alike.

The disease can also infect Asian pears but the causal pathogen, V. nashicola, hasn’t been identified outside of Asia, so growers in Europe or the Americas don’t need to panic about the disease on Asian varieties.

If you notice spots on the undersides of the leaves, or maybe even lesions on the fruit, there’s no time to waste.

We’ll explain everything you need to know about this common disease. Here’s what’s coming up:

What Is Pear Scab?

Pear scab is a fungal disease caused by species in the Venturia genus that live and breed exclusively on pears.

European pears become infected by V. pirina and Asian varieties by V. nashicola.

There are multiple races of each species, with varying symptoms, infectiousness, and degree of fungicide resistance.

V. nashicola doesn’t impact European pears, but it does attack all Asian types, including Japanese (P. pyrifolia var. culta) and Chinese (P. bretschneideri and P. ussuriensis) pears.

Currently, it’s only found in Asia, and growers in the Americas and Europe are taking precautions against it spreading to Asian pears growing in those regions.

P. pirina appears in all parts of the globe except Japan and eastern China.

Both are closely related to V. inaequalis, the pathogen that causes apple scab, which produces similar symptoms in apple trees.

Symptoms

Identifying this disease early will make all the difference in how severely it will impact your tree and the amount of damage it will do to the fruit, which is what we all really care about, right?

A short while after the fungus infects your tree, you’ll start to see small olive or yellow, chlorotic spots on the undersides of the leaves.

Unless you examine your plants closely on a regular basis, it’s likely you’ll miss this initial evidence.

It’s not until patches appear on the upper sides of the leaves and on fruits that we gardeners generally notice the problem. These lesions will be brown or black and soft.

Unlike apple scab which only attacks the leaves and fruit, this disease can also cause lesions on the shoots.

Once the fruits develop, they will have olive-colored circular areas with a velvety texture on the surface of the skin.

These will eventually become dark with a cork-like texture and might crack. The fruits might also be deformed or drop from the tree.

The severity of the symptoms depend entirely on how many fungal spores have infected the plant.

Biology and Life Cycle

Pseudothecia, which are pillow-like structures that protect the fungal spores, overwinter on fallen leaves or fruits. They can also survive on twigs and branches on the trees.

As the weather warms up in spring, spores known as ascospores are released from the pseudothecia and spread via wind and water. These spores are the main method by which the fungus spreads from tree to tree.

The ascospores become active and spread right about the same time that the buds are growing and starting to open on pear trees.

It doesn’t matter if the rain (or irrigation) is happening during the day or night. These spores have adapted so that they can spread any time, unlike many other species of fungi, which can only spread during the day or night.

Once the spores land on a host, they need water for at least nine hours and the temperatures must be between 59 to 77°F for the spores to germinate and infect the plant.

After infection, conidia appear on the branches and leaves of the tree which can also spread via wind and water throughout the rest of the growing season, though these are less infectious than the ascospores produced in spring.

In the fall when the temperatures drop, the fungus breeds on leaf litter, producing the pseudothecia where the spores will remain until the next spring.

Organic Control Methods

Organic control is the best way to deal with pear scab, whether you adhere to organic growing principles or not.

Using several of these techniques will help to control the disease without upsetting the balance of the garden environment with the use of chemicals.

Whether you choose organic or chemical control, it’s absolutely essential that you rotate your fungicides. Scab fungus will develop resistance if you use the same fungicide over and over.

Plant Resistant Varieties

Asian pear varieties are immune to V. pirana, and all European pears are immune to V. nashicola.

While breeders are working hard to create scab-resistant European pear cultivars, there aren’t many available yet. ‘Barnett Perry,’ ‘Batjarka,’ ‘Brandy,’ and ‘Erabasma’ are resistant but a little hard to find.

Some resistant Asian cultivars include ‘Hiangli,’ ‘Kinchaku,’ ‘Nashi,’ and ‘Ya Li.’

Note that resistant doesn’t mean immune. The trees might still display symptoms, but those symptoms tend to be vastly reduced with little damage to fruits.

Physical

Always, always, always clean up any fallen leaves or fruits in the autumn to deny the fungus places to overwinter.

You should also mow the area around the trees to chop up any missed leaf litter.

This alone won’t control the disease, but it will dramatically reduce the amount of inoculum present. Remember, the less inoculum around, the fewer symptoms your tree will experience.

Biological

It’s possible to prevent scab by using the beneficial bacteria, Bacillus subtilis strain QST 713.

When it comes to organic options, copper, Bordeaux, sulfur, mineral oil, neem oil, and lime sulfur are all effective and readily available.

If you choose to use copper or Bordeaux, don’t apply these products after blooming, as it could cause fruit russeting.

Chemical Control

In my experience, chemical fungicides don’t work any better than the organic options, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have their place in the garden.

Remember, the fungus will become resistant to whatever fungicide you use if the same product is applied repeatedly.

So it’s crucial to rotate your products. You can even rotate between organic and chemical controls.

It’s an absolute menace that affects apples, apricots, walnuts, and other important crops. In the southeast, it destroys fruit crops like Godzilla storming through a city.

Pears aren’t quite as susceptible as some other fruit trees, but they aren’t immune. When Armillaria comes calling, your pears are in serious trouble.

You really don’t want to have to deal with this disease. So in this guide we’ll cover where it comes from, how to avoid it, and what to do if it infects your pears.

Here’s what we’ll discuss:

What Is Armillaria?

Armillaria rot is caused by the fungus Armillaria mellea. The fungus thrives when the weather is cool and moist.

Unlike some fungal diseases, which are largely invisible, this one shows up as actual mushrooms – fruiting bodies – on the infected plant, as well as large mats of spores hiding under the bark.

For decades, pear growers assumed that their crops were immune from the disease, as in the past, pears had been somewhat resistant to the fungus.

But in the 1990s, the disease started spreading rapidly in California pear orchards. These days, no one is immune.

Armillaria mellea is found across the world in temperate regions.

The fungus needs a host to survive, meaning it can’t live in the soil alone, but even small sections of old roots or broken wood can act as hosts. The fungus can live on this kind of material for decades.

If you plant your pears in an area where other species that are susceptible to infection have been grown in the past, it’s highly likely that the pathogen is hanging out there on dead roots in the ground.

The same goes if you’re building or planting where a forest has been cleared in the past ten years or so.

Identification

Armillaria rot can be a tricksy disease. In some pears, the only visible symptom is that it simply looks a bit sad, lacking vigor, and failing to thrive.

The pear may not produce as much fruit as it used to, and perhaps it just doesn’t look great, with dropping or yellowing leaves.

Other times, the tree will wilt suddenly and die completely within a few weeks.

It’s the same fungus and the same disease, but two extremely different reactions.

Even more annoying is that these symptoms could be caused by a large number of different issues. Too much or too little water can cause drooping and yellowing. Gopher feeding or Phytophthora rot could present with some of the same symptoms.

The best way to be sure that you are dealing with Armillaria is to grab a shovel and dig out some of the dirt at the base of the pear tree. Scrape off some of the bark from the base of the trunk and some of the larger roots.

If present, you will see a cream or white cottony or felt-like layer, which is the mycelium or the root-like mass of the Armillaria fungus.

Peel off some of the bark, and you might see mycelial fans, which are white fan-like shapes made up of mycelial growth.

If you poke the wood with your finger or a shovel, it will be spongy and soft, and you might even get a whiff of fresh mushrooms.

In addition to or instead of the mycelium, you might also see mycelium cord or rhizomorphs. These black, string-like structures also act as roots for the fungus.

Finally, in the fall or during the rainy season in the summer, fall, or early winter, you can often see tan or honey-colored fruiting bodies – mushrooms – at the base of the pear tree.

These are sometimes called honey fungus, and they grow on both dead and living wood.

While you might be at risk of losing your tree to this infection, on the bright side, these mushrooms are edible.

Maybe swap your pear tarts for mushroom tarts? Just be 1,000 percent sure you have identified them correctly, and always cook them thoroughly before consuming.

Biology and Life Cycle

Armillaria reproduces in living wood and in the roots of infected trees.

It appears as mushrooms at the base of the tree in the late summer or fall, each with a capped head and notched gills.

As they age, the caps flatten out and send out spores, which land on host wood and begin to reproduce.

The fungus then overwinters in the wood as mycelia or rhizomorphs.

When attached to a tree, the string-like rhizomorphs can stretch up to 10 feet in the ground to reach another host.

The fungus finds a new specimen to infect through wounded areas and then moves down into the roots and into the crown. Eventually, the fungus will girdle the tree, destroying the cambium layer, and killing it.

The fungus can also spread in water and on infected wood.

Control Methods

I don’t like having to be the bearer of bad news, but here we are: There aren’t any effective methods to control this disease. 

Even though experts haven’t really come up with a foolproof way to deal with this disease yet, there is a last-ditch effort you can try if your pear trees are infected.

One way to slow or stop the advancement of the disease is to carefully dig a foot down all around the diameter of your tree to expose the lower trunk and upper roots.

Prevent all plant debris and soil from falling into the hole that you dug and avoid letting any water into the trench.

If you keep the area clean and dry throughout the spring, summer, and fall, the disease should stop.

You can bury the roots again in the late fall.

The disease attacks all kinds of woody trees, but oak, black walnut, and willow are most susceptible.

If you’re serious about growing pears, avoid planting them near any of these.

Prevention

Let’s talk about prevention. When you water your pear tree, water away from the trunk on the ground out to the drip line.

You should also take extreme care to avoid injuring your trees. Young specimens are especially susceptible, but older trees can be killed rapidly if you damage them while pruning, mowing the lawn, or edging.

You should also remove any mushrooms that you find near your trees because they can open and spread their spores in the wind.

If you’re planting in an area where susceptible trees have formerly been grown or where forest has been cleared, ideally you should dig down and remove any leftover roots.

Then, till and wait for a couple of years for any live plant tissue to die off.

Some types of pears are more resistant to armillaria than others. Pyrus betulaefolia, P. calleryana, most French pear cultivars, hybrids grafted on ‘Bartlett’ rootstock, and hybrids on ‘Old Home’ x ‘Farmingdale’ rootstock are the most resistant.

If you want to err on the side of caution, plant these.

Finally, try to keep your trees in the best health you can by feeding, watering, and pruning appropriately. You can learn more about how to cultivate pear trees in our comprehensive guide.

It originated in North America and has spread to the rest of the globe, leaving experts scrambling to find and breed trees that can withstand the effects of infection.

Plant breeders have been successful and we have quite a few options now that are able to resist infection. This doesn’t mean the tree is completely immune to the bacteria, it can still become infected, but symptoms are significantly reduced.

Here are the pear varieties worth looking at if you want to avoid fireblight:

Asian pears are more susceptible to the disease than European cultivars, so you’ll mostly see the latter on this list.

Keep an eye on the Ontario pear breeding program under Frank Kappel, Richard Layne, Harvey Quamme, and David Hunter.

They released the Harrow series, which includes ‘Harrow Delight,’ ‘Harrow Gold,’ ‘Harrow Crisp,’ and ‘Harrow Sweet,’ among others. All of these are at least moderately resistant to fireblight and there are more to come.

New England is safely in the 1,600+ hour category, and the Pacific Northwest has the most in the contiguous states at over 2,000 in most areas.

Your local extension office should have a page dedicated to the chill hours in your particular area.

Finally, remember that resistant doesn’t mean immune. There are no trees that are immune to the ravages of E. amylovora.

Some will show few symptoms, others will rarely have any, and some of these options will have moderate symptoms but should still provide fruit. Learn more about dealing with fireblight in pears in our guide.

The flowers might turn black but the infection typically doesn’t continue beyond that and the fruit develops normally.

This cultivar starts fruiting as young as three years old, at which point you can enjoy the yellow fruits with light russeting that have an excellent balance of sugar and acidity. It’s comparable to the beloved ‘Bosc’ in flavor.

‘Elliot’ stores well and can last up to four months in storage. It’s a midseason type and needs a pollinator partner. Grow it in Zones 5 to 9 where the tree will receive about 600 chill hours.

4. Farmingdale

‘Farmingdale’ is one of those rare cultivars that isn’t the result of intentional hybridizing, but a chance seedling with ‘Benjamin Buckman’ parentage at the Oregon State University Agricultural Experiment Station.

In addition to proving to be extremely resistant to fireblight, it’s also tough enough not to succumb to collar rot.

The midseason fruits have yellow-green skin with light russeting wrapped around white, juicy, buttery flesh.

It isn’t considered one of the most flavorful pears, but the tree’s vigor, uniform growth, and disease tolerance makes it an appealing option.

‘Farmingdale’ is also cold hardy, growing in Zones 4 to 8. It has been used regularly as a parent to breed new blight-resistant cultivars and as rootstock for hybrids.

5. Harrow Delight

‘Harrow Delight’ lives up to its name. The massive harvest is delightful, as is this plant’s resistance to fireblight and scab. Not to mention the sweet, juicy fruits.

This cultivar needs about 800 chill hours and don’t be surprised if it blooms prolifically one year and less so the next year. It’s hardy in Zones 5 to 8.

It’s not self-fruitful, so you’ll need to plant a friend. ‘Harrow Delight’ is in the late blooming group, but the fruits ripen early – ready two weeks before those of ‘Bartlett.’

Eat the fruits fresh or process them right away as they don’t store well.

The fruits are extremely aromatic, with a sweet, subtly acidic, buttery, super juicy center. The skin is glossy and light green with just a bit of russeting and blush red.

It matures about two weeks after ‘Bartlett’ in Zones 5 to 8 and can store for two months. ‘Potomac’ needs a pollinator friend and at least 600 chill hours.

In addition to fireblight resistance, this one is also resistant to scald.

This cultivar was bred by the USDA Agricultural Research Center and Ohio State University, led by horticulturalist Richard Bell, and hit the market in 2002. It’s a hybrid cross of ‘Max Red Bartlett’ and an unnamed seedling.

The fruit is ready for harvest about five weeks after ‘Bartlett,’ making it one of the latest to ripen on this list.

While it doesn’t require a pollinator, planting one will increase yields. It needs about 600 chill hours in Zones 5 to 9.

15. Shinko

Of the Asian pear cultivars, ‘Shinko’ has the best reputation for being fireblight resistant.

It ripens early, about two weeks before ‘Bartlett’ and has excellent resistance to fireblight, as well as the ability to grow in cold regions. Because it likes the cold, ‘Tyson’ also has high chill requirements, with about 700 hours or more necessary for abundant fruiting.

The pears are petite, but there’s nothing tiny about the flavor. The fruits are grit-free, rich, sweet, and extremely juicy so long as they have a pollinator companion nearby.

The fruits don’t keep well, so eat them fresh or can them quickly. This cultivar is suitable for growing in Zones 4 to 8.

‘Bosc’ pears are a feast for the eyes, but their appeal is more than skin deep. They have honey-sweet flesh with hints of vanilla and spice that’s artful on the palate.

This “aristocrat of pears” stands apart from other cultivars because of its firm, crisp, russetted flesh.

‘Bosc’ is a winter pear, which means it ripens later in the season and keeps better in storage than summer pear varieties.

I realize I’m waxing poetic here, but these fruits are truly sensual.

From the visual of cradling one in your hand, lifting it to your nose to inhale, and then crunching into it over the sink, the juice running down your chin, enjoying a ‘Bosc’ is a feast for all the senses.

Okay, fine. I’ll stop raving and start getting into the real work of planting and growing these trees. Here’s what we’re going to talk about:

‘Bosc’ has been around for a long, long time. It’s an heirloom cultivar that came to the US from Europe. Before we talk about how to care for this tree, let’s explore its past a bit.

Cultivation and History

‘Bosc’ is a cultivar of the European or common pear, Pyrus communis.

The truth of the matter is that there is no real consensus about where ‘Bosc,’ pronounced “BAHsk,” came from.

It possibly originated in Belgium – or maybe France. The cultivar was definitely in cultivation in the early 1800s, as in 1807, chemist and botanist Jean-Baptiste van Mons started a ‘Bosc’ tree from seed. And in 1830, a farmer stumbled across a seedling in Appermont, France.

Told you we weren’t sure.

We do know for sure that these pears were named ‘Bosc’ after Louis Augustin Guillaume Bosc, who directed the National Museum of Natural History in Paris from 1825 to 1828.

This cultivar is sometimes known as ‘Buerre Bosc’ (butter) or ‘Calabasse Bosc’ (gourd-shaped Bosc). It’s also called ‘Kaiser Alexander’ or just ‘Kaiser.’

Things get a bit clearer when it comes to their history in North America. ‘Bosc’ was brought from Europe and planted in eastern commercial orchards in 1832 or 1833.

They later came to the Pacific Northwest, which is where most ‘Bosc’ pears are grown commercially today.

The dark brown or copper coloration and slightly rough texture that develops on the skin is known as “russeting.” Russeting happens when suberin, an insulating molecule in plant cells, builds up in the skin.

Many people love the russeting on the skin of this cultivar, which is can be influenced by the growing environment.

Moist spring weather from rain or humidity, leads to heavy russeting, which is one of the reasons pears from the Rogue River Valley in Oregon are so coveted.

The area receives lots of moisture and cold enough temperatures that the fruits produce suberin as they develop. Of those pears grown in the valley, the ‘Bosc’ is the most economically important.

The trees are self-pollinating, but having a friend will improve production. Plant a ‘Bartlett’ pear or an ‘Anjou’ nearby and reap the rewards.

The trees grow up to 20 feet tall and wide when mature. They are suitable for cultivation in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 8.

‘Bosc’ Pear Propagation

Pears are generally propagated through grafting, and a sapling you buy from the garden center or plant nursery will almost certainly be grafted.

You can start them by seed, even from seed that you find inside the fruit you buy at the grocery store, but they won’t grow true. The seedling that emerges won’t be a true ‘Bosc.’

For that reason, we won’t talk about propagating via seed. Instead, we’ll focus on the two methods most available to home growers for propagating pears: cuttings and grafting, as well as the easiest method of all, purchasing a sapling from a plant nursery or garden center.

From Cuttings

When you propagate from cuttings you create an exact clone of the parent tree.

If you know someone with a ‘Bosc’ tree, whether that’s a generous neighbor or maybe a farmer willing to let you take a few cuttings, head out in spring to take semi-hardwood or softwood cuttings.

You’ll need to take several six- to eight-inch cuttings using clean pruning shears. Cut the ends at a 45-degree angle and place them in nursery pots filled with potting medium.

Once the cuttings develop roots, you can plant them outdoors.

To learn all the details about how to propagate pears from cuttings, read our comprehensive guide.

From Grafted Rootstock

Commercial pear trees are grafted or budded. Budding is a challenge that new growers are better off avoiding until they have more experience with propagation.

Grafting is an excellent way to grow a productive, healthy tree. You need both a rootstock and a ‘Bosc’ scion to complete the process.

When grafting, you take a bud chip from a parent ‘Bosc’ tree and you attach it to a rootstock base. The joint, or graft, between the two heals and voila! You have a productive, easy-to-manage tree that produces phenomenal fruits.

Generally, newbies buy rootstock and obtain a scion from an available mature tree or it is possible to purchase scions. You want to collect a 16-inch-long scion in the late winter or early spring from a healthy ‘Bosc’ specimen.

If you can’t graft right away, wrap the end in a moist paper towel, place the end in a plastic bag, and put it in the fridge until you’re ready.

Wait until the pear and apple trees in your neighborhood start budding. That’s when you can start the grafting process.

To do this, you will join the scion to the rootstock using a whip and tongue (bench) or a cleft graft.

You’ll need grafting tools for cutting the shapes, a hammer (for cleft grafts), tape or grafting compound. The goal is to join the cambium layer of the top and bottom parts. The cambium is the green tissue underneath the bark.

You’ll make cuts into the rootstock and insert the scion, then seal it with tape or compound.

Whip and tongue grafts are made at an angle with a sharp peak in the middle. It sort of looks like a cursive, uppercase N. The scion is made in the opposite shape with a sharp inset in the middle. The inset and the peak should join up like puzzle pieces.

With a cleft graft, you use a hammer or mallet to tap a grafting tool into the center of the trunk of the rootstock. Then, you cut the scion base into a v shape, exposing the cambium on two sides. Insert the scion into the cut that you made in the rootstock.

You’ll then keep the plant in full sun outdoors until the graft heals, assuming your rootstock isn’t already in the ground. If it isn’t already planted, you’ll put the plant in the ground with the graft union just above the ground once the union has sealed up completely.

Transplanting

Fruit trees are best planted in the fall. This gives them time to become established and settle in before they start to develop new growth.

If you absolutely can’t plant in fall for some reason, you can also transplant in the spring, but you’ll need to be a bit more protective of your new tree as it becomes established.

Before you plant, do a soil test. The soil should have a pH between 6.0 and 7.0 and you should apply suitable amendments to fix any nutrient deficiencies revealed by the soil test.

Once that’s all done, it’s time to dig your holes. Dwarf trees should be ten feet from any other plants or buildings. Standard-sized trees should be 15 feet away from anything else.

Dig the hole twice the width and the same depth as the container the young tree is currently growing in.

Gently remove the sapling and loosen up the roots, spread them out in the hole, setting it at the same height it was growing in the container with the graft union at least an inch above the soil line. Backfill with soil around the roots.

Water well and fill in with more soil if needed. You don’t want moisture to puddle around the trunk, so slope away from it.

How to Grow ‘Bosc’ Pears

These trees are pretty adaptable when it comes to the soil type. Loose, rich, loamy soil is ideal, but they’ll tolerate a little clay, silt, or sand. Just avoid planting in an area with poor drainage.

If you’ve planted your tree in fall, Mother Nature will likely take care of the moisture situation. If the soil ever dries out, add water. Otherwise, you can leave the tree to do its thing over the winter months.

Trees transplanted in spring need a bit more attention. Keep a close eye on the soil moisture, if the top inch of soil dries out, you’ll need to irrigate.

Once the tree is established, you probably won’t need to add moisture unless the top three or four inches of soil dry out.

We have an entire guide focused on watering pears if you’d like more details.

‘Bosc’ trees need full sun, though you can get away with slightly less. As long as they receive at least six hours of sunshine per day, the tree should produce ample fruit.

Keep an eye on any surrounding trees to make sure they don’t overgrow, and start shading your pear.

I can’t tell you how often it happens that someone plants a tree and a nearby tree continues to grow and shade out the pear. If that happens, you’ll need to prune the offending tree to improve light exposure.

Depending on your soil composition, you don’t need to feed ‘Bosc’ trees. It’s always wise to do a soil test and determine what you’re working with.

Assuming your soil is not completely depleted, you can skip feeding. However, if a test shows specific nutrient deficiencies, feed accordingly.

’Bosc’ are partially self-fertile. That means they will still fruit, but harvests will be improved if there is a pollinator nearby. ‘Bartlett,’ ‘Comice,’ ‘D’Anjou,’ or ‘Seckel’ all bloom within the same period so any of those will make a suitable companion.

Learn about pear pollination in our guide.

Growing Tips

• Grow in a full sun location.
• Plant in loose, rich soil.
• Carefully maintain soil moisture for young plants.
• Don’t feed unless a soil test reveals a deficiency.

Pruning and Maintenance

Pruning is absolutely required if you want the best fruiting, no exceptions. ‘Bosc’ trees can be a little wild in their growth.

They send out branches willy-nilly, corkscrewing, angling, and zig-zagging wherever they want to reach the sun.

All pear trees need regular pruning to produce well, but especially ‘Bosc.’

If you provide at least eight hours of sun, the branches are less likely to grow in odd shapes, but you’ll have a lot of them.

Branches that are growing too close together or rubbing against each other can make the tree susceptible to pests and disease pathogens.

Proper pruning opens up the canopy for good air circulation and allows more sun to penetrate the canopy. It also limits the number of fruit-producing branches, which results in stronger, healthier branches that produce larger fruits.

Insects

Aphids, codling moths, and scale are all common pear pests. Aphids and scale are relatively harmless unless they occur in large numbers.

They generally cause a bit of yellowing of the foliage or reduced growth.

Codling moths, on the other hand, truly suck. The moths lay eggs that hatch into larvae that tunnel their way into the fruits, leaving a rotten trail as they go.

It causes dead branches with brown, crisp leaves and peeling bark. Eventually, it can kill an entire tree. You might also have cankers that may or may not ooze.

Pruning, avoiding excess moisture, and watering at the soil level, and taking care not to overfertilize with nitrogen will help prevent fireblight.

Learn more tips about how to deal with fireblight in pears in our guide.

While there are resistant cultivars available, ‘Bosc’ isn’t one of them.

Harvesting

‘Bosc’ starts producing fruit when the tree is still young, sometimes as early as three years old. In late summer to early fall, start checking out the fruits.

Some types of pears can be tested for ripeness by their texture. But ‘Bosc’ have firm flesh when they’re ripe, so you can’t rely on that.

Instead, you’ll need to gently press into the neck of the fruit near the stem to see if there is a small amount of give. It won’t be a lot. You might also see some light wrinkling of the skin at the base of the stem.

You can also look for the faint tone of green underneath the russeting to turn yellow, but this isn’t a reliable indicator.

Pressing on the neck or plucking one and tasting it are the only ways to be certain that your fruit is ready for harvest.

Visit our guide to harvesting pears for more information.

Preserving

Dried pears are fantastic and ‘Bosc’ does especially well dehydrated.

To do this, slice up your fruits, dip them in lemon juice to prevent browning, and lay them in single layers on a dehydrator tray.

You can also dry them in the oven on the lowest setting, though you might end up with pear chips rather than dried slices, depending on the temperature you use.

‘Bosc’ can also be stored unwashed and whole in the refrigerator for up to five months. They’re extremely long-storing.

If you’d like to freeze the fruits, wash and chop them up and freeze them in a single layer on a sheet. Once they’re frozen solid, place them in a sealable bag or container.

Canned pears are a classic choice and you can also make preserves.

You can learn more about how to store your pear harvest in our guide.

Recipes and Cooking Ideas

For baking, broiling, or poaching, ‘Bosc’ are perfect. It’s hard to find a better option for a charcuterie board since they hold up so well to cheese.

Chutney, red cabbage and pear, grilled with goat cheese, roasted fennel and pears, and pan-fried pears wrapped in prosciutto are all made for ‘Bosc.’

The fruits retain their texture and flavor well, so they hold up to cooking with strong flavors.

Use them in a radicchio and walnut salad or try them in our sister site Foodal’s herb roasted tenderloin pork with pears recipe.