Known as "the sugar pear" for its extremely sweet and highly flavored, aromatic fruit. Excellent as a dessert pear, sweet as candy when dried, and also used for canning. Seckel European Pear is a self fertile variety in warmer parts of the country. In the North, it may require cross pollination to bear well. Large crops of small yellow/brown fruit on a naturally semi-dwarf tree. Resistant to fireblight but scab susceptible. Hardy and widely adapted. Zone 4-9.
ZONE: 4-9
POLLINATION/BLOOM TIME: Early blooming. Seckel is a self-fertile variety in warmer parts of the country. In the North, it may require cross pollination to bear well. For appropriate cross pollination click HERE
RECOMMENDED GROWING AND CARE:
Full to 3/4 sun, balanced moisture, reduce grass competition in root zone. Top dress with compost yearly. Summer prune for airflow and ease of harvest. Spur bearer. Pears tend to be very upright growers, so gently weighting young branches can bring them into production sooner. Mid-season ripening - September. Fruit can ripen off the tree - remove as fruit begins to color, and store chilled. Will ripen at room temp in several days, or place in paper bag with an apple to ripen more quickly. European pears ripen from the inside out.
CHILL HOURS: 500 chill hours below 45F
DISEASE RESISTANCE: Good. Resistant to fireblight but scab suseptible.
SIZE AT MATURITY: Dwarf - 8' x 12'| Semi Dwarf – 10-16' x 15'| Standard – 20' x 20'
*Mature size is not definitive – Climate, soil, care, and pruning methods all factor into size at maturity*
