skip to main content

Cornucopia - Australia

Harvesting of pears & almonds

20 years ago

Our pear tree is loaded with little pears and we are looking forward to sampling a few this year. Last season I tried to beat the birds so picked some and brought them inside to ripen but they remained green and slowly decomposed?? If I leave them to ripen on the tree, the birds will eat them (I've tried plastic snakes, foil, etc. to no avail. It's too high to net.) I buy them in the shops hard and green and they ripen okay inside - anyone know the secret? The Almond tree is a similar story. Cockatoos know it's here and make one fell swoop and they're pretty well all gone. How does one know when an almond is ready to harvest and when is the best time to do this and does anyone have a good bird deterrent?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (10)

Raymondo
20 years ago
Can't help much but the link below might help.

Here is a link that might be useful: Almonds
halinka
Original Author
20 years ago
Thanks Ray. It was a very useful site. All I have to do now is outwit the birds!
Related Discussions
Indications of readiness of pears for harvest?
Q
Comments (3)
Well, as you no doubt already know, pears don't have one set point of being "ripe", it is a continuum from very green and hard to soft and fully ripe, of course most are better ripened off the tree. It depends a bit on both how you like them, very hard or starting to soften, and also whether or not you want to try to store them (although this is basically just for fall/winter pears, since summer pears won't really keep too long outside of sophisticated controlled atmosphere storage). Three things I look for -- good flavor/lost any hints of astringency or bitterness that can be found in underripe fruit; seed coats have turned completely brown/black; and, finally, when you take the pear and gently raise it up to put pressure on the stem, it pops easily off of the tree, doesn't fight to stay attached.
...See More
Asian pear harvest
Q
Comments (10)
I'll go back and try to fix my zone list. I thought i did that. This tree is in the Catskills. The Jewett valley, that is about 1900 altitude but a valley between two mountain ranges. It is an old farm cleared, gets lots of wind, (love the no bite bugs with so much wind). I sited my garden in a low-lying protected field with good drainage at the base of a cliff. Drip irrigated from a natural spring when needed. My gardening education was youthful 15 yrs ago trying everything. Without internet it was OrganicGardening, the two bible books and the magazine subscription. I've become pretty laid back over the years and i believe that contributes to successes. Allowing nature and weather to be as it will be and enjoy the harvest each year with the good and the bad....and i prune heavily despite mind spinning advice. My main home north of NYC, 20 miles, has five new fruit trees, two yrs old now. The Asians are healthy. The others, (i would need to look in my book), are struggling. Possibly dead but i tend them and hope for life next spring. We all have our challenges and often the best advice is your local extension...i had a lovely fellow come to my land when first bought, Cornell Cooperative Extension. Greene CountyÃ¢ÂÂs office. Bob Beyfuss. A passion i've not seen since. He spent a few hours walking our land and that alone gave use so much information about our specific location. Here is a link that might be useful: Catskill Mnt Foundation
...See More
Ayers and Moonglow Pear Harvesting
Q
Comments (15)
A few years ago, I planted one red, one yellow, semi-dwarf Bartletts. Side branches were shaped with stakes, out and upwards, spreading the trees. By the 4th year the trees were pretty good size (maybe 10'), but no blossoms. Mid summer, side branches were falling over, and the top branches were not much better, so I lopped off the top, and pruned the vertical side branches to about 2/3 the original length. To my surprise, they set fruit in August. Pollination was by hand, for lack of bees (no, there was no harvest.) Season 5 resulted in 120 large pears. By season 7, fireblight was so bad I destroyed the trees. So, summer pruning may help a reluctant pear tree, but may also help introduce disease. I have since learned that the more dwarfing the rootstock, the sooner a pear is likely to produce. Mine were semi-dwarf, but a standard tree might take much longer. Location: Northern Indiana, 5a, downwind of Lake Michigan.
...See More
harvesting almonds
Q
Comments (0)
Posted this with trees, fruits and orchards. How do you deal with the peach-like fruit that a relative has all over her almond trees? She wanted them, and has had fabulous success, but what now?
...See More
mercury12
20 years ago
Hi Halinka

I read this on the US site a while back. You pick pears when they have reached full size and there is a slight give when pressed on the neck of the fruit. After picking them you store them in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks and then take them out to ripen on the bench

voila

Helen
halinka
Original Author
20 years ago
Thanks Helen, you are a gem! I may get some pears after all. The tree is quite large and laden with fruit but those pesky little birds peck holes in the fruit unless I harvest as early as possible. Have you got any good ideas to discourage birds?

Ciao, Halina (real name)
mercury12
20 years ago
Hi halina

I use netting to keep the birds off, but they are resourceful and will notice any hole in the netting and get to the fruit.
On my morello cherry tree, I used two layes of netting to keep the birds off. So far so good!

ciao helen
halinka
Original Author
20 years ago
Hi Helen,
Thanks for the advice. My trees are very large and will be difficult to net but I have decided to prune them severely after this crop so that I can net them in future. Just hope severe pruning will not cause any long term problems. I expect to get a poor crop the following year but I don't get many at the moment anyway. Thanks again.
Ciao Halina
Spatzbear
20 years ago
Halinka, with big fruit trees, we just net one section that is easy to reach. This still gives us plenty of fruit. Maybe you could try that as well? Just put bird netting on branches with fruit that you can reach. :)
halinka
Original Author
20 years ago
Spatzbear, you're a genius! Thanks loads. Such a simple solution and I never thought of it. Rather nice to share with the birds as well.
Ciao Halina
DerbyTas
20 years ago
Hi Halina
I never prune my trees (well occasionally with a chainsaw) and my theory is that the birds do not like to get too low to the ground where they are pronew to attack and will remain high in the tree if fruit is available there....thus leaving the low fruit (and that that is easy to pick for the tree owner (planter)
this works well with very large trees but may not work so well with medium trees (those in the process of becoming large)
It is wonderful to have such large trees and have the birds making there noises in the trees....and getting fruit too
another theory I have in favour of this method is....the birds keep the insect population down as well...after all they have a stake in the tree now too
cheers
Peter
halinka
Original Author
20 years ago
You're right, Peter, birds are a wonderful asset and I do like them a great deal. It's nice to feel I'm producing fruit that I can share with them, only trouble is they don't want to share with us! They leave their little pecking holes in most of the fruit, which means it is spoiled and I can't pick it to finish ripening inside. I thought the compromise of netting part of the tree was a good idea and have now purchased a net, which I will put up this weekend. Thanks for your interest.
Halina

Related Stories

EDIBLE GARDENS How to Grow Your Own European and Asian Pears

By Marianne Lipanovich

Try these trees for their good looks, delicious fruit and wide range of sizes — plus you can espalier them

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Beavertail Prickly Pear Wows With Color

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

The dazzling magenta flowers of this cactus will snag your heart — just beware the bristles that can stick in your skin

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Santa Rita Prickly Pear for Purple Appeal

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Distinctive colored pads and yellow flowers make this cactus a favorite in Southwestern gardens

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING World of Design: 10 Home Gardeners Show Us Their Sweet Summer Harvests

From New York to Tokyo, these gardeners have turned their yards, terraces and rooftops into places of bounty

EDIBLE GARDENS Why Grow Quince? For Beauty, Fragrance and Old-Time Flavor

By Marianne Lipanovich

Delightfully perfumed fruit and lovely spring blossoms make this apple and pear cousin worth a spot in the garden

GARDENING GUIDES Pacific Northwest Gardener's August Checklist

By Genevieve Schmidt

Deadheading perennials, cutting raspberry canes and preparing for the onion harvest keeps Northwest gardeners busy in August

EDIBLE GARDENS Houzz Call: What Did You Grow This Summer?

By Annie Thornton

Let’s celebrate the homegrown fruits and vegetables of the season. Post your pictures and tell us about your harvest

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: Steel Fuses Industrial and Modern in a California Pavilion

By Mitchell Parker

Heavy on metal, this two-story addition entertains with a stargazing hot tub, a fire pole and an unusual fire feature

EDIBLE GARDENS A Formerly Weedy Lot Now Brims With Edibles and Honeybees

By Mitchell Parker

Photographers transform their barren backyard into an oasis filled with fruit, vegetables, honey, eggs and more

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Crazy for Fruit Trees

By Marianne Lipanovich

Whether a single citrus or a mini apple orchard, even the smallest landscape space can bear deliriously delicious fruit

Sponsored

Foremost Siding & Exterior Design Solutions in Columbus