Blossom - Shinsui

I decided to move this to the front garden as they flowers and foliage are so attractive it will make a lovely specimen tree and centrepiece of the new garden.

Asian Pear: Shinsui

Just a postscript to previous comments about Shinsui. I left the remaining fruits on the tree for as long as possible (in fact too long, as most dropped off overnight a couple of days ago). Flavour was certainly improved for leaving as long as possible, with a definite fragrant, quite rich pineapple-like flavour (like one that is very over-ripe and has lost all acidity). 

Shinsui is a very decorative tree, free from disease and so far hardy and heavy cropping. The fruit keeps a very long time in storage, eventually going brown and soft from the middle. However, I'd only plant it if you like Asian pears or are a fruit variety 'completionist'; they can be something of an acquired taste, and are sometimes fairly insipid (much sweeter/richer than those available in Chinese supermarkets). My feelings are less mixed than they were though.

Two characterics of Shinsui mentioned in catalogues are it's light crops and self-sterility. I have had a heavy crop every year since the tree was a maiden, so much so that the branches can be inclined to break. My tree is fairly isolated from the other pears, and Shinsui is one of the first to flower and yet pollination is excellent. Either the bees are doing a wonderful job commuting between this tree and far-distant other early pears, or is it in fact partially self-fertile? I will experiment with covering/hand pollinating a section next year just as an experiment.

Asian Pear: Shinsui

I decided to cut off the bent branch before it broke with the weight of fruit, though I'd rather have left it in place.

I've come to the conclusion that this variety is best eaten straight from the tree, as it needs as much sun ripening as possible. It can be disappointingly insipid, like those asian pears available in the shops.

I tried one today that dropped off as i was picking it, and it had the distinct flavour of slightly-fermented pineapple that this variety has at it's best. 

Crop: Shinsui

Another branch bent to it's extreme with fruit. Another very heavy crop from this young tree, though I doubt there will have been enough sun this year to get fully ripened fruit.

Asian pear: Shinsui

Quite a lot of the fruitlets were damaged by caterpillars, but the grazed surfaces have mostly healed over and should be edible, showing just a bit of coarse russeting. It will be interesting to see if the good weather so far this year has any effect on the flavour, as I've found this variety very variable in the past. 

Asian Pear Shinsui : Blossom

If I'm honest, I'm still not absolutely sure how I feel about Asian pears, though they are exceptionally decorative, with generous creamy blossom emerging from red-flushed leaves and gnarled, woody spurs. This one is a half-standard on Quince A (as are most of my pears). Growing some way from the others, I've budded on a spur of Devoe to help with even pollination as it's flowering coincides exactly with the latter, and Sucrée de Montluçon.

The first crop was exceptionally flavoursome, with a flavour of slightly winey pineapple; the second year crop was rather flavourless in comparison.