Hi Bob: Iunderstand you are in Afghanistan. Stay
Safe over there! If you have time to
address my rather insignificant problem compared to where you are right now I
would appreciate it. If not …no
sweat! I have a large 12-15 year old Keiffer Pear Tree that always has
literally hundreds of large pears on it each year.
I am
just harvesting them and this year the pears look fantastic and are especially
large but when one cuts them open all of them have rotten areas within the
pear. Perfect on the outside but ruined
on the inside. Last year they were
perfect both inside and out…no problems but not so this year. I am sending a
picture…hope you get this. Any clue as
to what’s going on with these pears?
just harvesting them and this year the pears look fantastic and are especially
large but when one cuts them open all of them have rotten areas within the
pear. Perfect on the outside but ruined
on the inside. Last year they were
perfect both inside and out…no problems but not so this year. I am sending a
picture…hope you get this. Any clue as
to what’s going on with these pears?
The only
issue I had with the tree early In the summer was a severe iron deficiency that
I treated with an iron solution. Don’t
know if this caused the pear problem or not. I would appreciate any info you
can give me.
issue I had with the tree early In the summer was a severe iron deficiency that
I treated with an iron solution. Don’t
know if this caused the pear problem or not. I would appreciate any info you
can give me.
Billy
+compressed.jpg) |
| Keiffer pear at The Orchard |
Billy. This is a tough one but I do not believe your
applications of iron had anything to do with it. From the picture I believe
this is called brown core or pithy brown core. I could be wrong. But the brown
area would be pithy, not wet or watery. If this is in fact what it is I do not
have good news because no one seems to know what causes it.
applications of iron had anything to do with it. From the picture I believe
this is called brown core or pithy brown core. I could be wrong. But the brown
area would be pithy, not wet or watery. If this is in fact what it is I do not
have good news because no one seems to know what causes it.
Let’s run down a list of possibilities. One suggestion is
cool weather. Some suspect that unusually cool weather can cause this problem
in fruit. Another suggests that if you leave the fruit on the tree too long the
fruit can develop this problem. Another suggests if you harvest the fruit and
do not cool it down soon after harvesting this problem can develop.
cool weather. Some suspect that unusually cool weather can cause this problem
in fruit. Another suggests that if you leave the fruit on the tree too long the
fruit can develop this problem. Another suggests if you harvest the fruit and
do not cool it down soon after harvesting this problem can develop.
Whatever caused it, from your description, it happened to
all of the fruit this year. Look and see if the fruit on the South and West
sides are harder hit than the ones on the North or North East side. Let’s rule
out over heating of the fruit. If you don’t have good leaf cover on the tree
this might be a problem because the fruit may not get enough for shade and
cooling.
all of the fruit this year. Look and see if the fruit on the South and West
sides are harder hit than the ones on the North or North East side. Let’s rule
out over heating of the fruit. If you don’t have good leaf cover on the tree
this might be a problem because the fruit may not get enough for shade and
cooling.
+compressed.jpg) |
| Corky spot on Comice pear at The Orchard |
When harvesting the fruit, try harvesting the fruit a
little earlier, maybe mid-October, and let them ripen a little bit off of the
tree but inside the house. Make sure when they are harvested they do not sit in
the sun for any length of time.
little earlier, maybe mid-October, and let them ripen a little bit off of the
tree but inside the house. Make sure when they are harvested they do not sit in
the sun for any length of time.
There is another disorder called corky spot that cause
the flesh to be brown and pithy just under the skin. This is due to a calcium
deficiency and calcium sprays are recommended five times during the growing
season to alleviate this problem. But this does not appear to be corky spot.
the flesh to be brown and pithy just under the skin. This is due to a calcium
deficiency and calcium sprays are recommended five times during the growing
season to alleviate this problem. But this does not appear to be corky spot.
That’s about all I have to offer. If it does not happen
again next year and you have not done much different perhaps we can conclude it
was due to weather.
again next year and you have not done much different perhaps we can conclude it
was due to weather.