Greetings there Orchard Folks,

New guy here with hopefully something that doesn't "stump the experts."

I have 3 Bartlett Pear trees in my NE PDX backyard. Younger trees that are maybe 4 to 8 years old.

We have a problem......every year we pick fruit and we've tried picking at different times...

They rot from the inside out.

You cut open a pear you think is ready to eat and it's rotten at the core.

Any thoughts as to what we might do

Feel free to ask me questions about my "orchard" that I haven't shared.

I have had Monica Maggio over to discuss the problem...but it kinda stumped her and some folks she asked.

She thought maybe a "univeral pollinator" might need to be grafted.

Thanks for any help,

MB

I am not an expert on pears, but I read pretty much anything I find.

If the pears rot from the inside out, that is the classic sign that they have stayed on the tree too long. You say you've tried picking at various times, but it sounds like they have all resulted in rotting from the inside out. Maybe your earliest time still wasn't early enough?

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/node/413

jafarj,

Thanks for the reply. I'm familiar with this rule of thumb for picking. We'll have to try this earlier pick thought.

I have tested the fruit with this technique. Perhaps we'll have to keep track pickings closely.

Guess we'll even try some early by cutting them off to see if they will ripen correctly.

If anyone else has some thoughts, I'm all ears.

MB

Jafar is exactly correct. Knowing when to pick pears is harder than growing them. Some people feel at the neck to see if there is some give as well. Don't wait until they're soft enough on the outside. That is almost a guarantee that they will be rotten inside. ALso a good idea to keep a log on which dates you used to pick, how that worked, and if that year is early/late, etc.
John S
PDX OR