20th Century (Nijisseiki) Asian Pear for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by John Haryasz | Horticulture Writer and Landscape Designer – last update on October 20, 2022

Planting instructions

If you want your 20th Century Asian Pear Tree to not only remain healthy but also look its best and produce the greatest quantity of fruits, you should plant it in full sunlight. You should also give this tree about 10 to 15 feet of space to encourage horizontal branching, which often leads to the greatest fruit production and an easier harvest. To plant this tree, dig a hole that is as deep as the root ball is tall and at least twice as wide. Backfill with healthy soil and cover the area with mulch.

Watering and nutrients

After planting a 20th Century Asian Pear Tree, you should water it multiple times per week to aid establishment. After the first few growing seasons, you can reduce your watering frequency and supply water whenever you notice that the first one to two inches of soil have become dry. Feed your 20th Century Asian Pear in spring with a balanced fertilizer. However, you should also know that too much nitrogen can cause this plant to focus more on producing leaves rather than fruits. As such, a low-nitrogen fertilizer may be more suitable.

Pollination

The 20th Century Asian Pear Tree blooms with many flowers and is a self-fertile tree. What that means is that you’ll need only one of these trees to produce a viable harvest. However, if you want to maximize your harvest, you should plant at least one other 20th Century Pear Tree nearby. Doing so allows for cross-pollination, which typically leads to higher fruit yields each year. When in bloom, the 20th Century Pear Tree will attract many insects that will be responsible for conducting pollination.

Pruning

The best time to prune your 20th Century Asian Pear is during the early spring. For this tree, it is best to focus on thinning the canopy and developing an overall form that is conducive to fruit production. Typically, this means removing any branches that grow at a narrow-angle while encouraging those that grow more horizontally to the ground. You should also perform some pruning during the fruit development stage. At that time, it can be beneficial to remove some of the smaller fruits to ease the stress on each branch.

Pests, diseases and animals

Unfortunately, the 20th Century Asian Pear Tree can be vulnerable to a few pest and disease issues. Fungal infections are some of the most common diseases, with black spot being one of the most widespread. This tree may also suffer from pear rust and other complications. The 20th Century Pear Tree can also experience infestations of aphids, coddling moths and caterpillars. Likewise, you may also have problems with animals and insects that attempt to eat this tree’s fruits before you have a chance to harvest them.

Harvesting

Generally, the harvest period for the 20th Century Asian Pear Tree will fall somewhere between August and late September. However, what’s most important is ensuring that your tree’s fruits have plenty of time to ripen on the tree, which is why you should do a taste test before you harvest the majority of the fruits. When the fruit of this tree is ready for picking, it should be quite easy to remove by hand using a slight twisting motion.

Achieving maximum results

Thinning the canopy of your 20th Century Asian Pear Tree is one of the most important maintenance tasks you’ll need to perform. Thinning the canopy by removing crossing branches encourages better air circulation and allows sunlight to reach all branches, which reduces fungal infections and makes for better fruit development. You should also consider covering your 20th Century Asian Pear Tree with netting during fruit production to ensure that wildlife does not enjoy the fruits before you have a chance to.

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