RE: [gardeners] Re: Sunday in the garden [sic]
Margaret Lauterbach (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Mon, 25 Jun 2001 10:36:39 -0600
How do you tell when the pears are ripe? Ask your county extension agent. I
grow Bartlett pears, and they must be picked green, and I pick them by
gently swaying them on the tree. If they come off easily in my hand, we
pick them. If not, we let them stay for another week or two (in
Sept.). Margaret L
At 09:05 AM 6/25/01 -0400, you wrote:
>Eeek!! No no no, please don't do that! I'm just a lurker, but I adore this
>list, so I will pipe up with a question about my pear tree that I've been
>wanting to ask for a very long time. I have no idea what variety it is, as
>it was planted before we bought our house. It is healthy however, and has
>been kept in good shape. Every year it is totally **loaded** with pears. The
>problem is that the pears never ripen. They seem to go from hard as rocks to
>rotten. Now, we are not chemical people, and we're a bit lazy too, so we've
>never sprayed this tree with anything. We live in central Ohio, zone 5b-6.
>Does anyone have any suggestions for why the pears don't ripen. We are at
>the point that we are thinking of taking the tree out because it attracts
>wasps and bees like crazy. I'd put up with them if we could get some fruit,
>but if we can't enjoy the pears, then the wasps can't either.
>
>Thanks!
>Alice - zone 5b-6
>seyfried@oclc.org