Asian Pear Chojuro

Chojuro Asian Pears have an upright growth habit similar to most pears. I prune them rather hard to outward facing buds in order to encourage the branching structure to spread out. Chojuro Asian Pears are noted for their russeted fruit, it is rough on the outside like a potato. The fruit is crisp like and apple and very sweet. The 20th Century Asian Pear is a smooth skinned variety. The upper whips will be cut back leaving 3-4 leaf buds on each. Leaving more and the tree easily could break itself down under the weight of the fruit. Chojuro Asian Pears are susceptible to fire blight. I have to watch particularly closely in the early summer to remove all damaged branches. Fire blight usually starts in the fruiting spurs. They blacken and the blackness creeps down the branch. The fire blight spreads very rapidly and can kill a tree in a season or two if the blight is left to its own devices. Given a reasonable amount of attention in the Summer to remove the damaged material the Chojuro Asian Pear is easy to grow. In our garden the white flowers bloom in late January and the fruit comes on in early to mid August and is on the tree for about a month before it is picked or the last fruit is taken by the birds.