Asian Pears

Pears can be grown anywhere in the Houston area, although they do a lot better the further north you go.  They do better in the Woodlands than inside the loop, but all these varieties still work in all parts of the Houston area for their chill hour requirement is met by the amount of cold hours during a usual Houston winter.  Pears like full sun or as close to full sun as can be provided. Pears can withstand winter freezes. Pollinators are needed in most cases to produce fruit; however there are some varieties that do not need a pollinator. Pears do not like standing water.

Asian pears comprise a large group of pears that are crisp in texture and, when mature, are good to eat as soon as harvested or for several months after picking if held in cold storage. Asian pears do not change texture after picking or storage, as do European pears. Often Asian pears are called apple pears because they are crisp and juicy like apples but with a different and distinctive texture. Most Asian pears listed are semi self-fruitful and will fruit sufficiently for the average home gardener. Your fruit yield will be greater if you plant multiple Asian pear trees.

Care of Asian Pear Trees  

Pruning: Pear trees need to be pruned to get sunlight onto all branches. Thus it is important to develop a modified central-leader scaffold well spaced around the trunk horizontally and vertically with upward-sloping limbs 45° to 60° from horizontal. This builds a strong infrastructure for holding the fruit and helps give sunlight access to lower limbs. Removing crossing branches or preventing them will get sun to the branches too. In addition, removing or heading back interior branches that go up vertically from the scaffold will increase light penetration. Finally, trees (not bushes) will produce little if any fruit on branches growing downward. These downward hangers should be removed.

Space requirements: Pears can grow to be quite tall and are upright in growth pattern. They should be pruned to keep them to a height where fruit can be picked. Spacing between pears can be as little as 6’ to 8’ since they mainly have an upright growth pattern.

Planting: Plant the bare root trees as soon as you get them home. Plant in the soil that you already have – no amenities. Snip off any dead or damaged roots before planting. Make sure the root system is fully extended when planting.  Do not coil or bunch up the roots. If you cannot plant bare root trees immediately, heal them into the soil until you can plant or at least make sure the roots do not dry out.  Healing involves burying the roots in the soil and moistening the soil in order to keep the roots alive.

Production: Pears can begin to produce in year three or four.  If there is fruit before year three, pick it off immediately in order to allow all energy go into root production and growth.

Watering: Like all fruit, make sure pears get consistent water in the first few years.  Watering can come from rain or a hose.  During the first year, provide the tree with about 7 gallons of water per week, preferably once a week and water slowly.  This will be a little more than 3 minutes with a ½” hose and 1 ½ minutes with a 5/8” hose.  Remember to account for rainfall when determining how much to water with a hose.

Fertilization: (if the tree has rapid growth, cut back on fertilization in order to avoid fire blight). February: 1st year – 1.5 cups of cottonseed meal, 2nd year – 3 cups of cottonseed meal, 3rd year – 6 cups of cottonseed meal, mature tree – 3 to 6 quarts cottonseed meal per inch of trunk at base. In May, fertilize the same as in February.

Harvesting: Taste pears when they look the right size for the variety that you are growing.  Just keep tasting until you think they are ready.

Varieties of Asian Pears for the Houston Area Climate

Hosui Asian Pear High-scoring in taste tests: perhaps the tastiest Asian pear. Large, juicy, sweet, flavorful, refreshing, crisp like an apple. Brownish-orange russet skin. 450 hours. Pollinated by Shinko, Bartlett, or 20th Century.

Shinseiki Asian Pear Juicy, sweet, refreshing, crisp like an apple. Easy to grow. Keeps well. Harvest late July. Bright yellow skin and very little russet. Vigorous, spreading, heavy bearing (usually by second year). The fruit is medium size and high quality. Self-fruitful or pollinated with 20th Century. 450 chill hours.

20th Century Asian Pear Juicy, sweet, mild-flavored fruit is crisp like apple. Keeps well. Easy to grow, heavy bearing small tree. 450 hrs. Self-fruitful or pollinated by Shinseiki, Bartlett, or other pear or Asian pear.