Santa Claus - keeping test

I'd planned to keep my last few of Santa Claus's until Easter to test how late they would keep, but then forgot all about them. Today I noticed the neck of one was browning off so I decided to try them. I know now that they would have benefitted from being wrapped in tissue to stop them drying out, so will do that next year but, appearances aside, they were still quite edible. I thought they would probably have just gone brown at the core but no, the flesh was still quite firm. The taste was slightly vinous, very much like an Asian pear that is slightly over-ripe. 

I'm now quite impressed with this variety, I like firm pears with a tendency to crispness and the taste is also good. They are much later than the catalogues suggest, I don't think the first one was even ready in January and with care, they will keep in reasonable condition until April. The only down-side is that the variety is rather prone to scab, so needs a sheltered location that also has good ventilation, quite a challenge. I had given up on the cordon planted against a south-facing fence as the fruit were perennially riddled with scab lesions, but planting an additional tree I'd grafted into a more exposed position in my south-west facing front garden has been a lot more successful.

Last pears - Santa Claus

We are down to our last 3 pears of 2011, Santa Claus which has proved to be the longest keeping. Although they have shrivelled, they are still remarkably firm and crisp, just beginning to soften slightly now. Considering that we are almost in April, the flavour is remarkably good - not as fine as the few that ripened earlier but still of a quality that is welcome at this time of year. Next year I will wrap them in tissue paper to stop them drying out so much, now that I know that they take quite so long to mature.

Last pear picking

Decided to pick all the remaining pears today, to avoid potential damage from elements, and the last persistent squirrel. Will keep the Winter Nellis in open boxes, as they will ripen gradually from now, but might wrap the Josephine de Malines and Santa Claus in paper to try to prevent too much shrivelling in store, as these can take quite a while to start ripening.

Santa Claus

I've been assuming the damage on my Santa Claus was due to scab, as (unlike what is says in the catalogues) I find the leaves and shoots very susceptible. This only happens to the ones in my back garden, the front tree (part of an arch) never has this problem on the fruit even though the rest of the tree is scabby. I think I'll pick them soon, they are still very hard at this stage and take a time to ripen but I don't want leave them too long and find they rot from the core (cropping has been light so far so I haven't had much practice with them).

Blossom - Bishop's Thumb arch

Arch with Bishop's thumb (left) and Santa Claus (right), both flowering simultaneously. The petals have now fallen on both.

Crop: Santa Claus

The first year that this partial cordon of Santa Claus produced a crop it was very good. Large-sized, irregular fruits of good flavour that kept a very long time. Ever since, it's had difficulty setting any fruit, and that which has survived has been horribly affected by scab. 

Pear Scab: Santa Claus

One venture that looks like it may not be a success is my planting of a previously vigourous Santa Claus maiden as one half of an arch in the front garden. Unfortunately it really does not like the situation and has been virtually defoliated by scab for the second year running, with die-back of the growing tip and no new growth to tie in to form the shape. The infection is much worse than suffered by it's partner grown as a cordon in the back garden, in a much more sheltered and humid space. 

The soil is decidedly less good in this situation, barely better than subsoil, even with extra top soil and compost added. Most of the pears don't seem to mind but variety obviously isn't thriving.

Pear Scab

As usual I'm kicking myself for not spraying for scab. Only a couple of pear varieties are usually affected, Conference and Santa Claus. The damage on the former (bottom) is usually just cosmetic, though last year all the Santa Claus were inedibly dry and corky.

more on pear scab

Santa Claus: Blossom

Santa Claus has quite distinctive, apple-blossom pink buds, which fade as the flowers mature. First buds opened on April 6, full bloom today on April 11.