Harrow Crisp Pear
This pear gets it's name from the Harrow (Ontario, Canada) pear breeding program which was initiated in 1962 to develop pear selections that were fire blight and pear psylla resistant, selections that could extend the harvest season, improve fruit qualities like size, colour, flavour and texture, and to improve tree longevity. The 'Harrow Crisp' emerged from this program, introduced in 2000, and protection under the Plant Breeders Rights Act was granted in 2003.
Parentage: A controlled cross between 'Bartlett' and US56112-146 made in 1972.
Fruit: This pear is beautiful with red blush on smooth yellow skin and smooth cream-white flesh. It is grit-free, firm even when fully ripe, and has a mild sweet flavour. The fruit size is slightly larger that Bartlett and has very good quality ratings for fresh and processed uses. The fruit matures in late August - early September with a two-week picking period. Early picked fruit stores for up to two months.
Pollination: Harrow Crisp has a mid-spring bloom and requires at least one other pear tree of a different variety and similar bloom time for cross-pollination in order to produce good fruit crops.
Planting: The tree is medium sized, conical and upright, hardy, coming into fruit production around four years after planting and annually productive. Choose a full sun location with well draining soil, good air circulation, and proximity to cross-pollinators.
Disease resistance: Very good fire blight resistance.
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Image Credit: Matt Soltys
