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When’s the best time to pick pears to avoid mushy fruit? Ask an expert - OregonLive

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Gardening season may be winding down, but there is still plenty do and you might have some questions. For answers, turn to Ask an Expert, an online question-and-answer tool from Oregon State University’s Extension Service. OSU Extension faculty and Master Gardeners reply to queries within two business days, usually less. To ask a question, simply go to the OSU Extension website type it in and include the county where you live. Here are some questions asked by other gardeners. What’s yours?

Photo attached, pear.jpg

Q: We have a pear tree but we can’t remember the variety. We’re having a tough time figuring out when to harvest. Either we’re early and the fruit is really hard and never ripens off the tree, or we’re late and the fruit is mushy and rots soon after picking. We’ve attached a few images of the fruit in the hope that you might be able to get an idea of the variety and maybe give us some direction on when to pick. – Benton County

Green pear

What variety of pear is this?OSU Extension Service

A: It’s not always possible to tell the cultivar of pear from a photo, but the shape of these makes me think Comice is a good possibility.

According to OSU Extension’s publication Picking and Storing Apples and Pears:

“Most pear varieties do not ripen with good quality while still on the tree. Pears that are allowed to become too mature or to ripen on the tree develop a coarse, mealy texture and often have core breakdown.

Mature pears usually will detach when ‘tilted’ to a horizontal position from their usual vertical hanging position. Bosc pears always are difficult to separate from the spur.

Maturity in pears is that stage of development when, if picked, the fruit will ripen satisfactorily following an appropriate period of cold storage, if the variety requires it. Pears picked when slightly immature will ripen with better quality than pears that are overmature when picked. As with apples, knowing the usual period of maturity is first in importance.”

Color and size of fruit are other indicators for determining when to pick pears.

Color

With Bartlett, D’Anjou, Comice and other yellow pear varieties, a slight change in skin color to a lighter shade of green occurs at maturity. The flesh becomes whiter, and juice will appear on a cut surface.

Size of Fruit

Size is one indication of maturity. Pears, except Seckel, should be at least 2 inches in diameter at the widest portion of the fruit. Pick the largest fruit first, and leave the smaller ones for another week.

You can read more here.

Many pears are already past maturity in Benton County. Here’s hoping that you have some that have not over-ripened. – Elizabeth Records, OSU Extension horticulturist

Q: We took down a parrotia tree (sadly), and because the trunk is near water lines, we did not have someone grind it out. I drilled holes in it and put in epson salts ,which did the trick, but now there are many sprouts coming up everywhere from the extensive roots spread out around.

The wood deserves its name (ironwood) as it is difficult to cut. Some of the roots are like branches in size and barely under the soil. It is invading onto our neighbor’s bed, too. I tried Sucker Punch, which did little good. Any suggestion for something that will kill the roots without me having to try and find and saw them out? – Lane County

A: There are materials to inject into the roots, but you should contact a licensed pesticide applicator to do the job. If digging them out, you need to get them all, a difficult job. I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news. – Pat Patterson, OSU Extension Master Gardener

Coppicing

Cut-back pruning can rejuvenate old bushes, or in this case, can result in more colorful young branches on a red-twig dogwood.

Q: I have several large red twig dogwoods that need to be shaped/pruned. They still have leaves and have gotten spindly. Do I need to wait until winter to prune? – Multnomah County

A: You should wait until they lose their leaves this fall. The University of Minnesota recommends:

“The brightly-colored bark occurs on stems that are less than 3 years old, so renewal pruning should be a regular practice. Remove the oldest third of stems down to the base of the plant every year or two to promote growth of the younger, colorful stems.”

By removing one third of the plant each year, you should have them back to a manageable size within three years.

Ask an Expert

PitcherplantOSU Extension Service

Q: I have a wonderfully healthy pitcher plant and would love to leave it outside over the winter. Will it survive if mulched/protected? – Yamhill County

A: Here is a description of this plant, which is native to our region. Since it is native, it doesn’t need any winter protection. Here is a bit more information about it. – Kris LaMar, OSU Extension Master Gardener

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Tiger Swallowtail butterfly. File photo (Joe Songer | The Birmingham News)bn

Q: My backyard, which has gone quasi-wild, is visited briefly each summer by a couple of yellow swallowtail butterflies. I’d like to entice them to stay awhile and maybe be fruitful and multiply by growing some nectar flowers and host plants.

In researching how to make this happen, I’m confused by which group/family/species these may represent and have discovered that there are differing host plants for differing types. I’ve noticed no blue on the wings, so I guess that leaves out the Eastern tiger swallowtail.

I have some rhododendrons, which seem to attract them, but only temporarily and not enough to land. I have no photos of the butterflies. I’m curious as to whether, with this limited information, you might hazard a decent guess as to what the likely type is and what host plants I might grow. (Note: about every two years I see a Monarch in the area; I know the odds are long, but I’m growing milkweeds in several large containers, just in case.) – Lane County

A: If yellow swallowtails are visiting your garden each summer, it is a good sign that your quasi-wild yard provides the resources and/or habitat that they might be seeking.

In terms of nectar plants, butterflies are able to get nectar from a wide variety of plants. They are largely generalist feeders when seeking nectar. So long as a flower has a large landing platform, is brightly colored (including pinks, whites, purples) and produces nectar, butterflies may visit and sip.

In terms of larval/caterpillar host plants, butterflies are more discriminating. This is when it would be helpful to know the species. When I look on iNaturalist for the swallowtail butterflies that have been spotted around Springfield, western tiger swallowtails and anise swallowtails are the two species that come up. Of these, western tiger swallowtails have less blue in their wings. The western tiger swallowtail utilizes a large variety of host plants, mostly trees, including cottonwood, aspens, poplars, alders, ashes, and willows. Anise swallowtails have a bit more blue in their wings. They use plants in the carrot family, including anise, parsley, fennel and lomatium (aka biscuit root) for host plants. – Gail Langellotto, OSU Extension entomologist

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