Re: Nashi Pear
In a message dated 9/27/99 5:36:39 AM EST, tnottle@picknowl.com.au writes:
<< They may well have other names o/seas
but I am unaware of what these may be. Info. anyone? >>
Trevor:
I haven't finished reading my e-mail, so my apologies if someone else has
already responded. Apparently your "Nashi" pears are what we call Asian
pears here in the States, and are descendants of two Asian species: Pyrus
pyrifolia and P. ussuriensis. There are quite a few named cultivars that
vary in skin and flesh color, flavor, texture, shape, keeping qualities, etc.
Some of the most popular varieties here in California are known as
'Nijisseiki' ('Twentieth Century'), 'Chojuro', and 'Shinseiki'. I used to
grow a couple of these, and they produced well, but I found them martyrs to
codling moths, powdery mildew, and aphids, so I pulled them out. In their
place I now grow an 'Elephant Heart' plum, and a 'Flavor Supreme' pluot or
"plumcot," a bigeneric hybrid that is 3/4 plum and 1/4 apricot that fully
lives up to its name. I love the Elephant Heart because it is so late.
Although the fruit develops early, it takes forever to ripen, it doesn't all
ripen at once, and it usually spreads itself out over the month of September
- a time when fruit is most welcome in the garden.
Kurt Mize
Stockton, California
USDA Zone 9
