Contents
It would seem that harvesting pome crops is the most pleasant and simple of gardening jobs. And what can be difficult here? Collecting pears and apples is a pleasure. The fruits are large and dense, it is impossible to accidentally crush them, in 5-10 minutes you can pick up a bucket or basket. Yes, and you don’t need to bow, loading your back tired for the gardening season.
But, it turns out, not everything is so simple. Pears need to be able to collect and properly prepare for storage, otherwise they will not lie for long. Juices, wine, and jams from fruits picked at the wrong time will not taste good, and there will be a lot of waste. It cannot be said that this is a whole science, but it will be useful to have a cheat sheet on hand.
Pear maturity stages
Some varieties of pears are harvested after reaching consumer ripeness, others are harvested. If the fruits go to processing, they are torn at the stage of technical maturity. To keep pears as long as possible, to make high-quality juice, wine or jam, you need to clearly understand what the difference between these concepts is.
Technical maturity
The stage when the fruits become ready for processing. This is the earliest phase of the maturity of pome crops, when the sap yield is maximum. Seeds at technical ripeness only begin to turn dark. The fruits of even early varieties are fresh, but not tasteless.
Removable (botanical) maturity
It comes when the process of fruit growth and the accumulation of reserve substances in it – sugars, vitamins, minerals, pectins, starch enters the final stage. A cork layer is formed between the shoot and the stalk, the fruits are easily separated from the branches. The process of seed maturation ends. Fruits that have reached this stage may ripen during storage.
Consumer maturity
The time at which fruits acquire the taste, color, firmness and aroma characteristic of a particular variety. Nutrient content reaches its maximum. Pears are ready for immediate consumption.
Full physiological maturity
In fruits, accumulative processes stop, useful substances begin to decay. Starch in pears is completely absent, the pulp loses its juiciness, becomes mushy and tasteless.
Such fruits are not eaten, they are brought to the stage of full physiological ripeness only if it is necessary to obtain seeds that have ripened in the best way. In private subsidiary farms, bringing pears to such a state does not make sense.
How to determine the maturity of pears
Most varieties intended for fresh storage and consumption are harvested at the stage of removable ripeness. But how to define it?
A reliable method for determining the ripeness of pears, suitable for any climate and different weather conditions, has not yet been found. Moreover, they are looking for it, mainly for use in industrial gardening. There, harvesting is not such an easy task. From 40 to 60% of the time spent on cultivation falls on the harvest of fruits, and manual labor is used mainly. If the harvest time is wrong, the losses will be enormous.
The following methods for determining the stage of removable maturity were invented:
- according to the change in the outer color of the fruit, there is even a color scale created separately for each variety;
- the starch-iodine method proposed by N. A. Tseluiko, based on the change in the amount of starch in pears at different stages of ripeness;
- the relationship between the flowering period and the onset of removable maturity, which turned out to be absolutely inapplicable in the conditions of the countries of the former Soviet Union (due to weather fluctuations, we have an error of 20-40 days);
- determination of the degree of ripeness by seed color;
- measuring the strength of the pulp, in America a special device was even created – a penetrometer;
- calculation of the total temperature required for the ripening of pears of each variety separately;
- determination of the degree of ripeness based on the difference in the content of soluble and dry components in fruits, ethylene, chlorophyll, and all this was calculated for each variety;
- statistics of harvest time in previous years.
Only enumeration of methods for determining the degree of maturity took up a lot of space, but among them there are no reliable ones! After detailed instructions, you can add a dozen clauses to each of the points, each of which begins with the words “if” or “but”.
It would seem that if even in industrial gardening they cannot determine the exact time of harvest, then what should amateurs do? Perhaps someone will be surprised, but it is in private farms, where there are no certified biologists and highly paid consultants, that the fruits are harvested in terms close to optimal.
Experience, knowledge and intuition are equally important here. An amateur gardener annually watches his own garden, knows his land and the conditions for growing trees. Harvesting takes place when:
- fruits are easily removed from the tree;
- the seeds turn dark;
- summer and autumn pears acquire color, taste and smell characteristic of the variety;
- a wax coating forms on the fruits of winter and late autumn varieties.
Naturally, it is necessary to take into account the timing of the harvest in previous years, and collect information for the future.
What determines the ripening time of pears
Many questions arise from reading the previous chapter. They all boil down to the following: why are the methods developed by scientists for determining the degree of ripeness of fruits not always reliable? The fact is that too many external factors interfere with theoretical research. For example, the calculation of total temperatures, the relationship between pear ripening and flowering time work perfectly in California. The climate there is even, easily predictable, unlike the one, where the error in different years can be more than a month.
The ripening time of pears of the same variety growing in the same area in different years can be affected by:
- tree damage by low temperatures in winter;
- late spring;
- cold or too hot summer;
- the amount of precipitation or irrigation;
- the degree of illumination of the tree;
- soil composition;
- the degree of loading of the tree with fruits;
- feeding intensity;
- on the periphery, the fruits ripen faster than inside the crown, especially in tall trees;
- damage to plants by diseases and pests.
The fact that in different regions the same variety is harvested at different times is known even to novice gardeners.
When to pick pears
There are more than 5 thousand varieties of pears that differ in terms of ripening. To determine the time of harvest, you must first decide where the fruits will go – for fresh consumption, storage or processing. Moreover, it must be remembered that early varieties are unsuitable for storage, and later ones are not eaten immediately after being removed from the tree.
Why pears need to be picked on time
When harvesting, you need to know the harvest period. Summer and autumn varieties of pears need to be cut off in 4-7 days. In winter, the collection period is longer – from 8 to 15 days. Quickly crumbling fruits must be removed without delay, otherwise they will fall off on their own and be damaged. On tall trees, pear picking begins on the periphery – there they ripen faster.
Untimely removal of fruits adversely affects their keeping quality and quality, and in some cases can damage the tree.
If you rush to harvest:
- pears are stored worse;
- the quality of the fruits will be inferior, since they will not have time to accumulate all possible useful and aromatic substances;
- the peel of pears picked early turns brown more often and more than that of those picked on time;
- the harvest will be smaller, since just before the onset of removable ripeness, the size of the fruit increases by 1-2% per day;
- if you cut the pears too early, during storage they will not be able to acquire the color characteristic of the variety and remain green;
- late varieties do not have time to become covered with a wax coating, the fruits quickly lose moisture, nutrients and fade.
Consequences of a late harvest:
- fruit droppings;
- deterioration in transportability;
- decrease in keeping quality, overripe pears are stored poorly;
- in some varieties, the flesh becomes mealy;
- overripe fruits are more susceptible to disease damage during storage;
- late varieties may fall under frost;
- in overripe fruits, the amount of nutrients decreases;
- overripe pears become too soft, they are easy to damage when picking fruits, and during storage, most varieties experience the so-called rotten effect;
- late harvesting negatively affects the next year’s harvest, as it leads to a decrease in flower buds;
- delay in harvesting does not give the trees enough time to prepare for winter, which weakens them, reduces winter hardiness and frost resistance (these are different things).
When to harvest pears for processing
Preparations are made from pears of summer and early autumn varieties. They are plucked at the stage of technical maturity, when the juice content in the fruit reaches its maximum.
Ripe fruits lose their shape during canning. When preparing juice and wine, they do not give enough liquid. Green pears are too hard and tasteless, completely devoid of flavor. At the stage of technical ripeness, the fruits just reach the “golden mean” – they are as juicy as possible, the taste and aroma, although they have not reached their peak, are already expressed.
Collection of pears depending on the timing of ripening
According to the ripening time, pear varieties are usually divided into summer, autumn and winter. They differ in terms of harvesting and storage of the crop, readiness for fresh consumption, use for processing.
The keeping quality mentioned below is for conditions that you can create yourself. In special industrial-type storage facilities, pears are kept much longer.
When to harvest summer varieties
In summer pears ripening in July-August, consumer maturity coincides with the removable one, they are ready for immediate consumption. Only in farms, the crop is harvested a few days earlier in order to have time to deliver the fruits to retail chains or markets. They reach consumer ripeness during transportation.
During harvest, summer pears acquire the color, taste and aroma inherent in the variety. The fruits are easily removed from the tree. The bones are painted in dark color.
Summer varieties are not intended for storage. Even if suitable conditions are provided, they will not lie for more than 10-15 days. Only some varieties can be stored for 1-2 months.
It is summer pears that are most often processed for processing because it is impossible to eat before they spoil. True, the fruits intended for harvesting must be removed in technical maturity.
When to harvest autumn varieties
Mid-season pears, which are harvested from mid-August to the end of September, are usually divided into early autumn and late autumn varieties. The first ones are closer to summer ones in their qualities, the second ones are similar to winter ones.
Early autumn varieties are usually harvested at the end of the removable maturity stage or upon reaching consumer maturity. These phases may coincide or differ by several days. Pears are consumed immediately, stored no longer than 1-2 months. They are often allowed for processing, but then the harvest is carried out at technical maturity.
Late autumn varieties are harvested upon reaching removable ripeness. They will be ready for use in 2-4 weeks, stored for 1,5-3 months. Such pears are rarely allowed into processing, as they lie fresh until the New Year.
When to collect winter varieties of pears for storage
Winter pears are harvested from the end of September in the stage of removable maturity. Even the latest varieties must be removed from the tree before the start of frost, as negative temperatures drastically reduce their keeping quality.
Winter pears reach consumer maturity during storage, after 3-4 weeks. If you pick a fruit from a tree and eat it, it is impossible to recognize the real taste. That is why many gardeners complain: “I can’t find a good winter pear variety.” Variety, perhaps wonderful, just ate it at the wrong time. Yes, such a pear will definitely be juicy, most likely sweet, but unappetizing. She was simply not allowed to ripen, gain aroma and taste.
With proper storage, winter varieties lie 3-6 months. The term of their cleaning is the most extended.
Harvest Rules
Pears are harvested in dry weather after the dew has disappeared. It is impossible to tear the fruits in the rain or after it, while the fruits are wet – they will not lie for long, they are very likely to get sick with fruit rot.
Pears intended for storage should be torn carefully – without pressing down, along with the stalk. Late varieties covered with a wax coating are harvested with gloves – this is less likely to disturb the natural protective layer. It is impossible to pull down, pull or unscrew the pears. This will cause the stalk to break or remain on the tree along with part of the fruit.
To prevent falling pears, first remove the fruits located on the lower branches, then move to the middle and top of the tree. On sprawling specimens go from the periphery to the center.
When harvesting late varieties of pears, you may not have time to freeze. Then the fruit should not be in a hurry to remove, you need to let them thaw naturally on the tree. Such pears will be stored much less than those that were collected on time, they need to be eaten quickly.
Conclusion
It is necessary to collect pears carefully and on time, especially late varieties intended for storage. The most difficult thing is to choose the right time for picking fruits, only experience and attentive attitude to the garden will help here.