Plant Asian pears in deep, well-drained soils in a location as frost-free as possible. Chinese cultivars generally bloom a week or more before Japanese cultivars and are best pollinated with a Chinese cultivar. Be sure the cultivars you are planting will cross-pollinate and that their flowering periods overlap. Several cultivars are cross-incompatible, meaning they will not pollinate each other. All Asian pear cultivars should be considered self-incompatible, which means you need to plant another Asian pear cultivar as a companion for pollination purposes. The Japanese cultivars tend to be more round in shape, while the Chinese cultivars are more oval or pyriform (pear-shaped). European pears will be soft and juicy, with a sweeter, more mellow taste. Asian pears will be crisp and juicy, with some tartness, especially near the core. European pears are usually harvested in a green stage and allowed to ripen at room temperature. Asian pears reach optimum quality when allowed to ripen on the tree, similar to apples and peaches. There are also several differences between Asian pears and the more common European pear. The resemblance of these pears and apples, however, stops there. Most cultivars of Asian pears do resemble apples in that they have fruit that are round and have a crunchy texture. There is confusion with the name “apple pear,” as it may lead people to believe that the Asian pear is a cross between apples and pears. Asian pears are known by many names, including: Chinese, Japanese, Oriental, sand and apple pear.
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