QuickTake:

Prep the soil now to plant winter pears and curl resistant peach trees in the spring.

I love a fresh peach and fall color. The winter pears that we eat December through April also produce a beautiful crop of autumn leaves. Apples and summer pears — like the Bartlett — drop brown leaves. 

There is nothing wrong with apples and summer pears. Those are probably what you have if the trees were in your yard when you arrived. 

But if you are thinking about a new tree for next spring, consider the winter pears (Bosc, D’Anjou, Comice, Seckel) or curl resistant peaches (Frost, Oregon Curl free) and nectarines (Kreibich, Pacific Pride). They will produce wonderful orange and red fruit — and wonderful orange, red, purple and yellow foliage in the fall. 

Apples and summer pear varieties skip the pretty foliage, but winter pear trees produce vibrant leaves. Credit: John Fischer

A quick reminder on winter versus summer pears. All pears get picked while they are still firm and ripen off the tree. If you lift the pear and it comes off the tree, it is ready to pick. That is usually August for the summer Bartletts, and late September through October for the winter pears. 

The Bartletts go into a box until they ripen in a week or two. The winter pears need to be chilled for a few weeks and can be kept chilled until April. Our refrigerator has boxes of pears in the back for a few months each year.     

When you want a ripe pear, take it out of the fridge and wait until the top gets soft to a pressed finger. Different winter pears come out at different times. We are eating Boscs right now. The Comice will wait until January. 

Having fresh fruit in midwinter is wonderful. Southern Oregon company Harry & David has been sending winter pears around the country for 100 years.

Getting a spot ready for a spring bare root planting is easy. Put down a three-foot circle of cardboard and cover it with leaves. When you plant that new tree you can look forward to a feast for your mouth and your eyes.