Oh, you've GOT to plant a Korean Giant, also called Olympic. It is the BEST Asian Pear, the BEST, really. Honey sweet, and they can be enormous, some of mine come out the size of softballs. I've been able to keep them a whole year in the fridge by putting them in those "Green Bags" produce preservation bags (and, I use the dollar store cheap ones, they work just fine).

Overall, it kind of depends a bit on what you want and what you're going to do with them. Are you going to can pears, just eat them fresh, use them for baking?

I've got several kinds -- Bartlet, Anjou, Bosc, Clapps' Favorite, Winter Nellis, Ayers, plus some others coming on line that haven't had a crop yet. In Asians, I've grown the Olympic, as well as Ya Li, Shinseki, Chojuro, and a couple of others, too, but basically by far the best is the Olympic.

My growing conditions are different than yours, but in my dry zone 5 I get some tremendously good Seckel pears. They are good for fresh eating and they make very nice dried pears. They are tender, though, and I don't think they would be the best choice for canning.

I'm adding several pears...Probably a few of Den's list.

Different growing sites yield different results.
denni loves Korean Giant; here, it...well, it just sucks; sets very few fruit - yes they get huge, but no flavor and little sugar - and fireblight eats it alive; but, I see plenty of folks who rave about it, so it must be good - just not here.
Chojuro is my top pick for an Asian, year-in/year out; fruits size up well even when I don't thin - but it usually breaks a few limbs; beautiful fruits with a 'butterscotch' color - and butterscotch flavor undertones.

I'm in Z6 and Korean Giant is also my favorite Asian, but if my season was any shorter it wouldn't usually ripen here in southeastern NY. I wouldn't count on it in Z5 although a single graft on a tree would be worth the experiment if you are in full sun.

Seckel will get the sugar where you are, which is the main problem with growing pears further north. I like Harrow Sweet a lot for it's high sugar.

More than any fruit I grow, pears, and especially Asians, rely on full sun to be high quality.

I appreciate your response. I know regular varieties of pears is no problem here, my neighbors have all kinds of pears. However, I have not seen a single fruit bearing Asian Pears tree in the neighborhood or in this part of the state. I also did not have any comments from you on those 3-in-1 pears trees; are they productive?

Asian pears are easy, and they will bear in their 3rd year, unlike European pears that take 5-9 years before you get fruit.

The problem with 3-in-1 trees is that one graft is likely to take over unless you are vigilant. (See link for some tips)

Here is a link that might be useful: DWN: multi-budded trees require special consideration

Dennis-

How does Bartlett work for you over there in MI??? I want to add one this spring.

Here in Zone 5-6 (Western Montana) I ripened Anjou, Gold Spice, and one I'm not sure of because I lost the graft label, probably Flemish Beauty. Had Ure coming when I picked it early. Other grafts on my tree that have yet to produce are Clapp's Favorite, Dana's Hovey, White Doyenne, Seckel, and Winter Nellis, as well as local favorite "Frost" and a family heirloom from Lou Pezzuti, which we named for his father Joe. Joe originally saved scions from a tree that was getting bulldozed (I suspect a seedling). A neighbor has some beautiful Boscs.

The original tree is Gold Spice on FHx333, I believe, and has been a reliable producer every year, including the year it was planted; one year I had no pollination, but that is another story.

The tree is kept at 12 feet tall and about 8 feet diameter by pruning.

Some grafts do appear more vigorous than others and I prune them more aggressively. And I grafted Flemish Beauty to a Bartlett on unknown rootstock and it overgrew badly- it's been a wrestling match ever since to keep it hewn to a manageable level and I haven't full succeeded in controlling it (not my tree, so I can't obsess over it as much as I might.)

Just FWIW,

M

I've got both Asian and European pears and I much prefer the European ones.

The Asian pears get eaten if they ripen when nothing else is ripe, but no one eats them if there is anything else available. The Asians are sweet and crunchy, very nice texture, but not offering anything else. I've got boxes of them in my garage and not one has been eaten.

Seckel is our favorite pear. Bosc is good for me. It has a courser texture than Seckel and isn't as sweet, but the flavor is good and it is late and stores well. Warning: Bosc is not a pretty tree

The Seckels tend to be ripe before the weather is cold enough to store fruit (they are supposed to store just fine if you have a cool place). They are the only pear that I like dried, so I've got a lot of dried Seckels for this winter.

Comice are supposed to be outstanding. I've got a tree ordered, so it will be a few years before I know if they do well in my climate.

On the Asians, Shinseiki gives me a nice sweet crunchy yellow pear with tender skin. Hosui is a brown pear with a courser skin and a more complex flavor. Those are both good reliable Asians for a cold place with a short growing season and they cross pollinate.

Harvest-

I pulled the trigger and ordered some trees from ACN tonite. I added a "Harrow Sweet" to the order. I did a little research and it sounds like the Gerber folks like it for baby food and my 8 month old loves her baby food pears, so they have to be good...

I have Lincoln pears that I get from an Amish nursery near Lancaster, PA. They are great for colder areas due to later blossoming. Not much in the way of diseases to worry about either. The one tree was planted in the early 1950's and is still bearing loads of fruit.

Well, I suppose my failures are as useful information as successes listed by others: 'Moonglow' mediocre quality. Sets fruit pretty well though. "Stark's Delicious" half-dead. Finally got the blight. 'Summercrisp'. Grows at least. Hasn't set a fruit to maturity in about six years. I'm still hopeful that its one of those old-fashioned varieties that doesn't set fruit for a very long time, instead of just being a dog. Oh well....

Chojuro for sure if you want it off the tree. I hear they ripen even better after some cold storage. I have Shiseiki (nice when you're really thirsty!) and Chojuro. I'm still figuring out what they like and how to properly ripen them. I hear the Giant really improves with storage. I have one coming and can't wait! I'm also adding 4 Boscs, 4 Anjou, 4 moonglows, and 4 Bartlett's all along a east facing gentle slope. Since my "orchard" is smaller I'm considering spacing of 15', rows 18' apart. Eventually 12' modified/pyramids through Lorette's method of summer pruning.

I haven't found that any Asian improves with storage, but I guess this is subjective as the taste does change a bit. I like the texture best off the tree when they're at their crispest but the texture of later ripening ones certainly hold up well. KG keeps for months in cool storage.

They don't sweeten in storage the way apples can IME.

The only one that bears for us so far is the Shinseiki and it is great--really juicy. We got pears during its 2nd and 4th years with no known pollinators around. We also have a 2 year old Chojuro, a D'Anjou, and a keiffer that haven't bloomed yet.

Here is a link that might be useful: my zone 5 gardening blog

Hi!

I live in Methuen, MA and I want to grow some asian pear trees too. Does anyone live in this area and can vouch for some good fruit bearing types?? If not, any information about what the different asian pears would be great!

thanks everyone,
Lisa