If you are thinking of adding a pear tree to the home orchard, take a look at Seckel sugar pears. They are the only native American pear grown commercially. What is a Seckel pear tree? It’s a type of fruit tree that produces fruit so sweet they are called Seckel sugar pears. Read on for more information about Pyrus communis ‘Seckel’ trees.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
The vast majority of pear trees available in commerce are cultivars imported from Europe. But one type of pear tree, Pyrus ‘Seckel’ trees, started from a wild seedling in Pennsylvania. This type of pear, pronounced SEK-el, is a variety of fruit tree that grows tiny, bell-shaped pears that are very sweet.
According to Seckel pear information, the harvest period starts in September and lasts until February. The pears can last up to five months in storage. Seckel sugar pears are considered dessert pears. They are small but chubby, with rounded, olive green bodies and short necks and stems. Those growing pear Seckel trees find the fruit to be snack size. You can tuck a few Seckel sugar pears into a lunchbox but you can also can them whole or use them in cooking. Seckel trees are easy to grow.
They are cold hardy and, in fact, grow best in cool regions. The trees thrive in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 8.
II. How to Grow and Care
Watering and Fertilizing
When newly planted, water your Seckel Pear a few times a week until you begin to see strong signs of growth on the branches. Scale back to watering once a week, giving the tree one to two inches of water at a time. In very hot or dry weather, increase your watering. After your first frost in fall, you can stop watering during the winter months. To fertilize, use a product that is designed for fruit trees, applying it as the package directs in spring and throughout the growing season.
Pollination
The honeybee is the most common pollinator of pear trees, though other insects may also be drawn to the tree’s flowers. Pear trees are not self-fertile, meaning that in order to have a bountiful harvest, you’ll need more than one variety of pear planted nearby. Good pollinators for the Seckel Pear are the Bosc Pear, D’Anjou Pear and Comice Pear trees.
Planting Instructions
Site your Seckel Pear where it will get at least six hours of sunlight a day and in soil that drains well. Unpot your sapling and tease out any encircling roots, which can girdle the tree and slowly kill it. Leave the roots in a bucket of water while you prepare the planting site. Dig a hole that’s as deep as the root ball and two to three times as wide. Place the tree in the hole, spreading out the roots and making sure that it isn’t planted any deeper than it was in the pot.
Holding it upright and steady, fill in around the root ball with topsoil, tamping down as you go to eliminate air pockets. Water thoroughly. Apply a two to three-inch layer of organic mulch such as bark chips around the root zone to conserve moisture and hinder weed growth but keep it from touching the trunk to avoid problems with rot.
Pruning
Remove dead, diseased or damaged branches whenever you see them. In early spring, before bud break, prune back your pear tree to shape it. The tree grows best when it has a strong central leader (trunk), surrounded by lateral branches that are spaced evenly four to six inches apart around the trunk. Cut back about a fourth of these lateral branches every year. If your tree bears heavily, you may also prune out some of the excess fruit to allow the tree to concentrate on the ones remaining. Leave two fruits per cluster.
Pests and Diseases
Pests that may appear on pear trees include scale insects, leafrollers and aphids. A healthy tree can handle minor infestations fine on its own, but if insect pressure is high, consider releasing beneficial insects such as aphids and lacewings to attack the pests. Use insecticides as a last resort. Diseases of the pear include Septoria leaf spot and leaf and stem blight. A copper fungicide may be helpful in dealing with these fungal diseases. When your tree is bearing fruit, you may see signs of small animal damage, but this will mostly be on fallen fruit.
III. Harvesting and Storage
Unlike many fruits, pears are picked when they are still unripe. Look for the fruit to begin to take on its mature greenish-bronze color. If they are ready, they will separate from the branch easily. Place them in a warm spot to ripen—or better yet, try one to see if it’s already ripe enough to eat. Pears are also easily stored for the winter, in a cold, humid spot that is 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
