Pear Facts

• The Pacific Northwest’s fresh pear production is the largest in the United States.
• In the Pacific Northwest, pear production ranks number two (only behind apples).
• Combined annual pear production for the Pacific Northwest averages more than 650,000 tons.
• About a quarter of the overall pear crop goes to the canning industry.
• Most processed pears are Red and Yellow Bartletts, with 67% of this variety used for the canning and processing industry.
• Fresh pear varieties include Yellow Bartlett, Red Bartlett, Starkrimson, Green Anjou, Red Anjou, Bosc, Comice, Seckel and Forelle.
• A pear tree takes 15 years to reach peak production.

The Pear Orchard

Winter: Rest and pruning

• Trees need many hours at cool temperatures to produce fruit buds for the next season.
• Pruning takes place while trees are resting, keeping them healthy and allowing sunlight to reach the leaves in spring.

Spring: Blossoms abound

• Pears begin to blossom and bud in April.
• A balance between hot days and cool nights during the growing season is critical.

Summer: Maturing fruit is monitored

• A series of tests determine harvest maturity of the pears.
• These tests examine the firmness of the flesh, the color and sugar content of the fruit.
• A number of pests and disease threats are monitored and handled.

Fall: Harvest by hand

• Pears are one of the few fruits that do not ripen successfully on the tree, so they are harvested when they are fully mature, but still “green” or unripe.
• Harvest begins in August with Bartletts and continues through September and October with winter varieties.
• Pears are picked by hand and placed into orchard bins specially designed to avoid bruising the fruit.
• Pears are immediately placed into cold storage to slow the ripening process.