Ammonia smell in coop-first time owner

[ali-s]

My little Pear tree at the bottom of the garden has fruited this year. The Pears are very hard, should I leave them to ripen on the tree or should I pick them and ripen them indoors?

 

Thanks

[sari]

My dog eats all the pears on the lower branches of my small and pathetic aged pear tree...I thought it was ofxes til I caught her at it!!

[SJChick]

We live not far from Dundee, our apples were ripening on the tree, but we have picked them now because we thought the weather wasn't so good and they would get blown off and bruised. I think because you are in NE Scotland they might be best ripening indoors - but I could be completely wrong.

[sjp]

It depeneds on the variety not all pears are ready to eat straight off the tree some need a week or 2 some need a month or 3 as I assume yours are a modern eating pear then they will more then likley need a week or 2 off the tree to finnish ripening so you can start to pick them in the next week or so

[ali-s]

Thanks.

 

I think I will bring in the best of the pears to ripen indoors and leave the smaller ones on the tree and see what happens.

 

We have already had the first of the Autumn gales last week and it was very cold.

 

No idea what type they are as the tree was here when we moved to the cottage. I don't think it is very old (we have been here 2 years) as this is the first year it has fruited properly. Last year the pears developed and then dropped off the tree when they were still tiny. The tree is about 5ft high so either quite young or a dwarf variety. The pears have a rough browny skin.

[Old Speckled Hen]

If they don't ripen well (pears do badly here in Cumbria, too wet and cold) you could always make perry from them next year..........much nicer than cider