Pear does not equal pear

The pear blossom is almost over and I took the last chance to shoot some pictures while walking Joy.

We have some old trees standing around which often carry a lot of fruit.

What it takes to be able to harvest pears I will tell you now because I read a little bit about it.

Pear trees are one of the fruit trees that are not self-pollinating.

They need so called pollinator trees, which provide the pollen for pollination.

For a rich pear harvest, you basically need two types of pear in the garden.

The flowers of the pear tree are hermaphrodite. They carry both, male and female organs.

_{Makes me wonder if I should gender a pear tree now lol.
But it's a good example that being hermaphrodite is somewhat natural ;).}

Hermaphrodite flowers cannot fertilize themselves. You need the pollen from another pear tree so that a fruit can develop from the flower.

Pollination is done by insects and wind.

Why is my pear tree not carrying fruits?

As we learned it takes a second pear tree to pollinate another.

But not every pear tree is the same.

Some sorts blossom at different times, so you have to make sure your trees are on the same page when it comes to that.

There are a ton of pear types out there.

Table pears, pears for cooking, cider pears - summer pears, autumn pears, winter pears - make sure you pick the fitting ones to be able to grow delicious fruits.

Some sorts of pears ripen early, while others don't ripen until late autumn.

That is why pear tree species are divided into summer, autumn, late autumn and winter pears.

Early pears taste best fresh from the tree and cannot be stored for long.

Pears for cooking, on the other hand, are ideal for preserving or for dishes with pears.

For the winter supply, late autumn and winter pears are the best types. They can be stored for several months.

Table pears are all types of pear that are suitable for raw consumption.

They are usually quite large and smooth and have a typical pear shape.

Pears for cooking are inedible when they are raw.

They need to be cooked to soften. The aroma only develops properly when heated.

They are ideal if you want to cook jam or if you want to keep them in preserving jars.

Cider pears are often grown on orchards.

The fruits are usually quite small and can look a bit wrinkled. Cider pears do not taste good raw.

They are preferably used for making pear most.

Cider pears are also kept on large areas for wine production.

They are rarely planted in the home garden.

Summer pears

The first summer pears are ripe as early as July. Most summer pear varieties, however, are harvested in August and September. They have to be used up immediately. You can't store them. They are also not suitable for cooking.

Autumn pears

You can harvest early autumn pears between September and October. They are usually not as sweet as the summer pears. On the other hand, the taste is often very aromatic. These pears can be stored a little better than summer pears.

Late autumn pears

Depending on the weather, they ripen between October and December. In unfavorable locations the fruits are not always ripe. Autumn pears should therefore only be planted in very protected areas, preferably in the front of house walls.

Winter pears

Winter pears are not ready for harvest until December. Often it even takes until January before they can be harvested. Winter pears are therefore not suitable for unfavorable locations with early frosts. They do not ripen in time and freeze to death on the tree.

You can also grow small variants in pots if you have no garden.

I didn't know a lot about pears, except that I like them.

Reading has taught me something and I hope you are smarter now too.

If you have no clue what type of pear you have growing you gotta find an expert who can tell you which type it is.

Do you like pears?