Can Pineapple Pear Trees Produce Fruit?



Not all pear trees produce fruit, but “Pineapple” pears (Pyrus communis “Pineapple”) are one kind that do. If your “Pineapple” pear tree fails to produce fruit, pollination, the tree’s age or a lack of chill hours might be to blame. Identifying and resolving these problems will benefit you with the fruit from this tree. The “Pineapple” pear resulted from a cross of Asian and European varieties. The Asian pear genes in these pears let them be grown in warmer areas than European pears because “Pineapple” pears only need 200 chill hours. You can plant these trees in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9.

Pollination

You need two varieties of pear tree for successful pollination of the flowers of the “Pineapple” pear, notes University of Florida Nassau County Extension. If the blooms were not pollinated, you will most likely not see fruit on the tree. This could be misconstrued as the “Pineapple” pear being just ornamental. To overcome pollination problems, plant another kind of pear tree along with other flowering plants in the region to attract pollinating bees to your lawn.

Tree Age

If you have just planted a youthful “Pineapple” pear tree, you won’t see fruit on it to get at least four to five years. These early years are when the tree specializes on growing. Any small fruits which do form in this time should be eliminated to redirect the tree’s energy to tree development and off from fruiting. If your pear tree is too young, just wait a couple of years and it should produce fruit.

Chill Hours

If your “Pineapple” pear tree neglected to fruit, look back in the previous winter. Exceptionally warm winters without at least 200 hours with temperatures between 45 and 32 degrees Fahrenheit could affect your tree’s fruiting. “Pineapple” pear trees must become enough chill hours to break their dormancy after the warm temperatures return in the spring. Reduced flowering, fruiting or a delay in either these could happen should youn’t possess the 200 chill hours required by “Pineapple” pear trees. Coastal areas may see 500 chill hours or fewer, according to the University of California, Davis. If you suspect a lack of chill hours from an unusually warm winter, then wait until the subsequent year when normal temperatures return.

Fruit

“Pineapple” pears usually are ready for harvest in August. But when the fruit has been harvested, it won’t soften up to additional pears do. The fruit itself has a high grit content, and cooking or canning touches of them cause the fruit to fall apart. The best use for “Pineapple” pears is to are them as pear preserves or butter.

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