(Backyard Gardener - Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

Hello Mid-Ohio Valley farmers and gardeners! It is hard to believe this is the last week of April. Hopefully, most of the cold weather is behind us as we experienced two very chilling nights this week. Many of us are looking forward to Mother’s Day and the beginning of the growing season. I know gardeners out there cannot wait to plant those warm season vegetables.

This week I want to talk about fruit trees. Many homeowners plant fruit trees to enjoy fresh fruit right off the tree and for canning and preserving. I know many backyard gardeners love to plant peach trees but many times a late frost will diminish their production. Apple, pear and plum trees are much hardier and are more reliable producers for our area.

My focus today is on pear trees. Many families have a tradition of canning pears or making pear butter, a product similar to apple butter. Pears were the first fruit tree exported to the New World from Europe in 1630. Then governor John Endicott planted a pear sapling in Massachusetts which he brought over from England.

In 1809 President John Adams had some of the pears from the “Endicott Tree” delivered to the White House. It has produced fruit for over 380 years, surviving hurricanes and droughts. It is one tough fruit tree.

Two important types of pears grown in the United States are the European pear (Pyrus communis) and the Asian pear (Pyrus pyrifolia). Bartlett is the most recognized European-type pear in the U.S., my grandparents had one at the farm in the front yard. Most of the American commercial pear industry is located in the Pacific Northwest.

When planting pears you must select varieties resistant to fireblight, a disease which can kill fruit trees. Harrow Delight, Warren, Moonglow, Hood, Monterrey, Kieffer, Orient, Seckel, Potomac and Blake’s Pride are all resistant to this bacterial disease.

There are also certain varieties which are self-fruitful, which means they can pollinate themselves. If you want only one pear tree, select a self-pollinating variety such as Orient, Baldwin, Kieffer, and Spalding.

Other pear varieties require cross-pollination. If you plant varieties that require cross-pollination, be sure to plant varieties that bloom at the same time. Those with a similar Pollination Code letter generally bloom together. Two varieties, Waite and Magness, produce sterile pollen. Plant Orient with them, or two other varieties with a similar pollination code letter to insure pollination of all varieties.

Pears must be pruned the first year. Pears have a tendency to grow upright with very narrow crotch angles, so early training and pruning are extremely important to develop a strong tree. Plant trees at least 15-20 feet apart.

Sunlight is a key to maximizing fruit production, so select an area where the trees will be in the sun most or all of the day. The early morning sun is particularly important because it dries the dew from the leaves, thereby reducing the incidence of diseases.

When planting a fruit tree, dig the hole no deeper than the root ball and about twice as wide to allow the roots to spread out. Mix in up to 1/3 by volume compost or peat moss with the soil as backfill the planting hole. There is no need to add fertilizer to the hole, it will burn the roots.

If planting a bare root or potted tree, remove any roots which are wrapped around encircling the root system or J-shaped roots. This helps the plant produce a stronger root system and prevents the formation of girdling roots that can weaken the tree.

It is also very important to position the tree so that the graft union is 2-4 inches above the soil line. The graft union is a swelling where the variety meets the rootstock. If it is buried below the soil line the tree will grow to full size, instead of the dwarf or semi-dwarf size of the rootstock.

Never allow the roots to dry out. If the roots are dry when you receive the trees, soak the entire tree in water for several hours.

Pear trees are extremely susceptible to fireblight, a bacterial disease which attacks fruit trees including apples and pears. The tell-tale sign of fireblight is the brown shepherd’s crook appearance of shoots.

Blighted tissues become water soaked then quickly wither and blacken. The disease moves down the branch from the point of infection. The tissue under the bark of the most recently killed leaves or flowers will be darkened and moist in appearance. Most outbreaks occur during humid, wet periods right after bloom but can happen anytime during the growing season.

To minimize fireblight, don’t over fertilize. Too much nitrogen fertilizer, including compost, can cause fast new growth that is very susceptible to fireblight. Water sprouts or suckers should be removed promptly on susceptible variety. Do not prune while the tree is in bloom and up to two weeks after blooming.

Prune diseased shoots immediately if your pear tree is exhibiting symptoms of fireblight. When pruning a diseased shoot, cut at least 6 inches below where you see discolored bark. After each cut, disinfect pruning tools in a mixture of mixture of 1 part chlorine bleach to 9 parts water or another appropriate disinfecting agent. Discard or destroy diseased shoots.

This bacterial disease can spread quickly and damage or even kill trees. The observant backyard gardener can keep this problem from getting out of hand, but the best solution is to choose pear varieties with some resistance to the disease.

It is important to harvest pears at the correct time. Pick them when they are mature in size but not yet fully ripe. If picked too soon, they will shrivel in storage and will lack flavor. If picked when overmature, they will be coarse in texture, very soft and often rotten on the inside.

One measure of maturity are the fruit lenticels. These are the small “dots” or indentations on the fruit’s skin. Lenticels of immature pears are white; however, as cork cells develop the lenticels become brown and shallow.

Following harvest, pears need to ripen for several days to several weeks depending upon the variety. Judge the ripeness by pressing lightly at the stem end of the pear; it will give slightly.

If you wait until the pear yields to pressure around the body of the pear, it will be past its prime. If you are canning pears, a bushel weighs 50 pounds and yields 16 to 25 quarts to enjoy all winter.

Contact me with questions.at the Wood County WVU Extension Office 304-424-1960 or e-mail me at jj.barrett@mail.wvu.edu. Till next time, Good Luck and Happy Gardening!