Nashi pears are small, cute and delicious. However, proper care is essential for a bountiful harvest.
While the native pear is found in almost every orchard, the Nashi pear is still a real exotic fruit there. The vigorous and robust Asian pear is easy to cultivate and, with appropriate care, consistently high yields can be expected. A juicy and aromatic pulp is hidden under the usually thin skin of the small, spherical fruit. The taste of the little vitamin bombs is reminiscent of pears, apples and melons.
Asian pears taste great raw and can also be used to make jam or to bake fruit cakes. If you feel like bringing this little exotic to your orchard, you can find out everything you need to know about caring for the apple and pear here.
Watering the Nashi pear properly
Nashi pears are quite hardy and don't need constant watering. During the growing season, water and nutrient requirements are usually higher. In order for strong fruit to develop, the Nashi pear should be watered regularly, especially during longer periods of drought. Rainwater can preferably be used for this. Tap water is less suitable as it often contains too much lime.
» Tip: During the cold season, the Asian pear sheds its leaves and requires very little water.
In short form:
- Irrigation advisable during dry periods
- Water regularly during the growing season
- Soil should not dry out
- preferably use rainwater
How to fertilize properly
It is generally not a must to fertilize the Nashi pear regularly. If the trees are planted outdoors, the hobby gardener can meet the nutrient requirements of the plants by loosening the soil and adding compost or horn shavings. Fertilizer applications during the flowering period can help increase crop yields. Liquid fertilizer can be dosed well. Watch out for an overdose, it could harm the plant. From August at the latest, fertilizers are no longer to be applied,then the plant prepares for winter dormancy. If fertilization were continued, the new shoots could not develop sufficiently by winter and frost damage would occur.
In short:
- Enrich potting soil with organic fertilizer
- use fertilizer sparingly during the growth phase
- Stop fertilizing completely from late summer
Cut Nashi Pear
Caring for the apple and pear includes various pruning measures, which will now be explained in detail.
❍ Pruning back for higher yields
Regular pruning is necessary so that the inflorescences can develop well and nothing stands in the way of a rich harvest. Young plants are already pruned in their first year. All fresh shoots are shortened to a length of about one meter. With older plants, all shoots should be shortened by about half each year. This promotes new growth and flowering. Pruning can be done in spring and fall.
❍ Care cut for regular beauty treatments
So that the tree keeps its shape and remains an eye-catcher in the orchard, you should use scissors from time to time and shorten long and hanging shoots.
» Tip: Also remove the fruits, they remain very small anyway and taste less sweet.
A grooming cut can be done all year round. Nashi pears tolerate pruning without any problems. With a pruning you not only ensure an attractive appearance of the plants, the aim should also be to give the buds as much sun as possible.
❍ Shape cut for a special look
Not all trees are the same. The Nashi pear can also be transformed into a special eye-catcher if you use the scissors. If you want to shape the tree, you can start cutting it in the first year. Popular shapes are the hollow crown or the pyramid.
Diseases and pests in Nashi pears
Also in terms of infestation with pests and the occurrence of diseases, parallels can be seen with the native pear fruit. However, the Nashi pear proves to be far more robust than our usual pears in the orchard.
Diseases can occasionally occur:
- Pear Grating
- Fruit Tree Cancer
- Firebrand
Pest infestation was observed:
- Pear midge
- Pear Leaf Lollipop
❍Pear grating
Fear stalks the orchard when, in spring, the wind carries the fungal spores from the commonly infested juniper tree and unloads them on the leaves of the pear trees. An infestation is indicated by reddish spots on the leaves. Later, the fungus works its way through the entire leaf and if left untreated, the entire tree can shed its leaves. An infestation can hardly be determined on the apple-pear. The hardy Asians seem almost immune to pear rust.
❍ Fruit Tree Cancer
The Nashi pear proves to be less robust against fruit tree canker. The fungus first appears in the form of a brownish discolored and dry tree bark. Round, reddish spore deposits are still visible on the trunk. Younger plants, whose trunk is not yet strong enough, are particularly at risk. If the fruit tree canker is noticed, all affected parts of the plant should be cut back generously.
Fruit tree canker is considered aggressive and can only be combated using chemical pesticides.
» Tip: Infested plant parts that have been cut off must not be disposed of in the compost as the fungus can spread further there.
❍ Fireblight
Fire blight is a bacterial disease commonly found on pear trees. First the leaves and flowers wilt, later they take on a black-brown color and appear burnt. Young plants are also particularly at risk here and if left untreated, the Nashi pear will completely die after about three weeks. If older plants are affected, they can survive for several years. If fire blight is noticed, you should react quickly and generously cut back all affected parts of the plant down to the he althy wood.
❍ Nashi pear infestation
The Asian pear is also extremely rarely infested with pests. An infestation with the pear gall midge was observed. This lays its eggs on the fruit and the maggots of the gall midge feed on the pulp. Discard affected fruit.
The pear leaf sucker is after the tips of the shoots. The eggs are laid directly in the tips of the shoots. A sooty mold reminiscent of honey is excreted by the larvae. This forms the basis for fungal diseases. If you notice an infestation, all affected shoots should be cut back generously and burned or disposed of with household waste.
What should be considered when overwintering the Nashi pear?
Nashi pears do have an exotic onenames, but are almost perfectly adapted to our climate. Even severe frosts of -20 degrees cannot harm trees cultivated outdoors. No winter protection is required.
Restrictions apply to young plants. The sensitive root system can be protected by a layer of mulch in the first few years. When kept in buckets, the roots are less robust and more vulnerable to attack. It is a good idea to cover the ground with leaves or brushwood, place the tub on a base made of wood or styrofoam and give the tub plant a sheltered location, for example on a house wall.