The Old Farmer's Almanac Garden Musings

The ancients used brush for building boats, shelters, arrows, spears, and fences. Today we are not apt to cut more than a few bean poles or tomato stakes. If you are industrious, you might construct some winter protection for shrubs or cut up sticks for kindling. But if you really want to get rid of the stuff, brush becomes a weed, and it seems that the more you try to eradicate it the more it grows. Some old-timers insist that brush cut in August will not grow back. Most evergreens if cut right to the ground will not reemerge. Whether by machine or hand, always cut brush as low as possible. If you can borrow some goats, sheep, or pigs, they can take care of the problem in a season and leave the ground more fertile as well. Otherwise, sow grass to choke out other growth, and if possible, mow the area every few weeks. If the new suckers can be held at bay for a year, most of them will not return. In small areas, a layer of black plastic will prevent new brush from emerging. (This will be effective only if you prevent even the slightest hole from forming in the plastic — not always possible when you are laying it over stumps.) Once you’ve “harvested” the brush, what to do with it? As little as possible. If you have an area where you can leave a brush pile, it will serve as a haven for forest creatures until it decomposes. Chipping it up for mulch is all right if you’ve got the equipment, but often it is just an expensive way of hastening decomposition. A brush pile for burning on a winter’s night after a skating or sledding party is a good idea. Make sure that your brush is stacked all in the same direction and close together, otherwise the fire will not catch. An oil-soaked rag wound round the end of a stick makes a good torch. Thrust it as deeply as you can into the center of the pile, and get out the marshmallows.

The field mouse, a.k.a. field vole or meadow vole, inhabits just about every region of North America. An important part of the food chain, these cute little critters are a favorite snack of snakes, foxes, coyotes, and birds of prey. House cats often test their hunting skills by stalking field mice through tall grass, and even weasels seek them out. One would think that with so many enemies field mice wouldn’t be much of a problem for farmers and gardeners, but this is not the case. Female field mice reproduce when about a month old and can have up to six litters of three to ten mice each year. During the summer, these mice of the meadow generally leave crop plants alone and dine on grasses, succulent weeds, and the occasional insect. They travel under the cover of grass “runways” just at the surface of the ground or burrow through loose mulch and leaf litter. As fall approaches, mouse damage starts to show up as they start gathering and storing seeds, grain, rhizomes, and bulbs. Ground covers may provide hiding places for foraging mice, so trees and shrubs that are surrounded by myrtle or pachysandra are at risk. In areas with snow cover, field mice use this cold camouflage to tunnel between woody plants such as fruit trees, dogwoods, berries, roses, and lilacs, stripping the nutritious bark under the snow and leaving the plant girdled. Girdled plants usually will not survive the next season. Sanitation is the key to mouse control in the orchard and around the home. If lawns and fields are kept mowed, mice will be more exposed to predators. Keep a minimum thickness of mulch around trees and shrubs to discourage burrowing, and remove thick accumulations of leaves around perennials. Protect small trees and shrubs by wrapping their trunks with plastic guards or (loosely) with wire mesh. Repellents are also available and may be useful in ground cover and other difficult areas. You may recall that Robert Burns wrote “To a Field Mouse.” But did the mouse ever write back?

Anyone who gardens seems never to have enough time on their hands. You can, however, enjoy “thyme” at your feet. An herbal lawn or pathway is somewhat more difficult to install than a conventional grass lawn, but in the long run it is much easier to maintain and is less subject to destruction from disease or insects. The appearance of an herbal lawn is more interesting than plain grass, and the aroma is enchanting. Low-growing thyme comes in several distinct varieties. Creeping thyme, woolly thyme, and lemon thyme are the most common. Once established, thyme can endure a fair amount of foot traffic. Chamomile is more delicate than thyme and will not hold up to major traffic, but interspersed with other plants it will be reasonably durable in the lawn, offering yellow, buttonlike flowers and a sweet, pineapple-like scent when stepped on. While it might be anathema to Americans, the dandelion is popular in England as a ground cover, and like many herbs, it has medicinal value as well. Likewise, violets and Johnny-jump-ups, commonly considered pests in the grass lawn, make for lovely sights and smells and can be part of your herbal lawn. And then of course there is mint, which may be the most appropriate plant for a pathway: It’s named after Mentha, a mistress of Pluto who was trampled by the jealous Proserpine and transformed into a plant to be forever walked upon. Pluto eased her fate by willing that the more she was trodden upon, the sweeter she would smell. Mint varieties include gill-over-the-ground, peppermint, spearmint, catnip, and many others, all of which are quite invasive. Mint welcomes mowing. In an herbal lawn, grass becomes the weed, so you will want to start with a well-cleared area. Herbs do not like rich soil, but the healthier the soil, the easier they will become established. Regular watering is important, and weeds must be pulled until the herbs predominate. Mowing a couple of times a year will help to eliminate other high-growing weeds and will encourage bushiness in the herbs.

Growing to a height of 8 feet or more and topped with a bright yellow, cylindrical flower, mullein is one of those plants that have acquired many popular names throughout the centuries because of its myriad uses. The names Aaron’s rod and Jacob’s staff certainly refer to its sturdy stalk and quite possibly to its strength as a medicine. The nicknames torch, hedge taper, and candlewick plant were used in medieval Europe, where the tall plant was stripped of its leaves and the flower head saturated with oils and set ablaze as a ceremonial torch in funeral processions. Velvet plant and old man’s flannel refer to mullein’s soft, gray-green, fuzzy leaves. Said to possess antibacterial properties, they have been used for dressing wounds and as poultices to cure aches and pains. Early American settlers who brought the seeds across the Atlantic steeped the leaves and flowers to make a soothing tea. (The seeds, however, are poisonous.) Mullein also was respected as a beautiful accent plant for the perennial border, and beekeepers grew it as a late-summer pollen source (it blooms from July to September) and because it readily perpetuates itself from seed. A true biennial, mullein lives its first year from seed as a low, fuzzy rosette of gray-green leaves. The leaves keep their color through the winter, and in the spring the stalk rockets from the center of the rosette. Many gardeners cut off the flowers before the seed ripens to keep volunteer plants from taking over the garden. The seed, once dried, can be sown in fall. Its deep taproot system makes mullein hard to transplant but at the same time almost indestructible. It withstands drought and strong winds. Today, mullein still enjoys a place in the perennial garden. Besides the common yellow or “great” mullein, there are white, blue, purple, and red hybrids. The towering flowers make an impressive background plant and are attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies. If you are “mullein over” a new plant for your garden, this could be the one.

They work at night under the protective cloak of darkness, slithering along on a silvery slime secreted from their own bodies. As daylight takes over the garden, they seek dank and dark places to hide from the sun. The only traces remaining from their attack are hardened, slimy trails glistening in the light and rough holes in the leaves and stems of plants. Who are these slippery culprits that deface scores of plants yet are barely ever seen? The villains responsible for this dastardly damage are slugs. Slugs are gray to brown in color and have been known to reach 4 inches in length. Lacking a protective shell, they must seek out shelter during the day to retain body moisture and temperature. They hide under garden debris and boards, and they flourish during wet spells. Left uncontrolled, slugs can become serious pests. Favorite foods include lettuce, cabbage, corn, tomatoes, beans, and peas. In the perennial garden they love hosta, delphiniums, tulips, and daffodils. Some gardeners stalk these evasive creatures at night with flashlights and pull them from the leaves of plants. (Latex gloves make the task less unpleasant.) Other gardeners place shingles, inverted flowerpots, or citrus rinds in the garden; slugs congregate beneath them and can be collected daily. Drop the slugs into a can of salt or hot, soapy water to finish them off. A modified version of the classic slug trap is a deep container filled with 1/2 inch of beer, or sugar water and yeast, sunk so that the top edge is slightly above ground. When the unsuspecting mollusk stops in for a drink on his way home, he drowns. Slug barriers are yet another foil. Wood ashes spread in a four-inch band around plants seem to deter slugs. Sand, stone dust, and other abrasive material is also used in hopes of ripping open the slug’s stomach as it speeds across the surface (highly unlikely for a creature whose odometer reads in feet per day). Keeping the garden tidy is one of the most effective ways of controlling slugs. Rake leaves from ground covers and from under shrubs often. Pick up flowerpots, flats, and debris to eliminate hiding places.

In Victorian times it was popular to have a special garden whose sole function was to provide flowers for cutting. This trend periodically enjoys revival, and with reason. While perennials and annuals can be grown together effectively, the food requirements for sustaining healthy perennials are excessive for annuals. And if one is going to gather cut flowers every morning or two, it is easier to do so in a garden that has been designed to be walked in. Gardening being what it is, there are no fixed rules. But there are a few basic considerations. Water cutting flowers frequently so that their blooms are full and succulent. Remove spent blooms immediately so that energy does not get transferred to seed production. Morning is the best time to cut bouquets—the flowers have had a chance to rest from the stress of the day before and are often glistening with dew. Avoid putting pressure on the stems when you hold them. Gardeners have described in detail the best methods for cutting and storing flowers—cutting straight across or at an angle on the stem, re-cutting before placing in a vase, mixing sugar and/or bleach in with water, or using seltzer water. There are good arguments for all of these, but the essentials are using a sharp blade for cutting, using tepid water for storing, and changing the water every day. Plant many varieties to provide a riot of color. Don’t forget pastels such as powder-blue delphiniums and soft yellow foxglove, as well as bold red roses and royal purple iris. Bells of Ireland, an unusual plant with green blooms, is striking in almost any arrangement.   Even if you have a special cutting garden, many other plants outside the garden can add to a bouquet. Shrubs such as lilacs, spirea, beauty bush, azalea, dogwood, and hydrangea can donate attractive filler. Ferns, wild grasses, and leafy perennials like wormwood also work well. In the spring, cherry and apple blossoms mingle nicely with daffodils and tulips, and in the fall you can add colorful autumn leaves in among mums, yarrow, asters, and baptisia.

The towering spires of delphinium are often compared with church steeples, yet it is the long nectary of the flowers that provides the inspiration for the name: The dolphin’s nose, Greek delphis, gives us delphinium, and the feet of larks inspired the nickname larkspur. Lovelier still to the tongue is the Spanish nickname espuela del caballero—the cavalier’s spur. While delphiniums are beautiful in their own right, their qualities are appreciated all the more because they often require a lot of care. The gardener who anticipates the challenges in advance will have a better chance of success. Seed catalogs reveal a multitude of color choices, including stunning and varied shades of blue, pastel pinks and lavender, spritely yellows, whites, and two-tone varieties. Plants started in February will bloom the same year. The sunny days and cool nights of coastal New England, plus its ample rainfall, present optimum growing conditions, as does the western United States. In fact, in the cooler zones delphiniums can be expected to survive for a number of years, whereas in warmer regions a plant may last only a season or two. The species forms of delphinium seem to be longer-lived than the hybrids. In addition to living in the right place, the delphinium grower needs to be diligent about modifying the immediate conditions. While moisture is essential, wet soil will cause crown rot. Delphinium plants should be set in rich, well-drained soil. The bed should be prepared deeply, enriched with compost, and sweetened with lime, bone meal, or wood ashes. Plants emerging from self-sowing of the previous year should be thinned so that there is adequate ventilation between them. Fertilize regularly or top-dress with rich compost or composted manure. Because the spectacular flowers are so top-heavy, solid staking is essential. Wooden stakes may be stained green to be less conspicuous. Thin bamboo stakes (often available in green) should be pushed deeply into the ground. Stake each stem separately to keep the blooms erect. If your landscape is informal, you might also consider using large twigs or small branches for staking.

Rototilling the vegetable plot can be quite satisfying. A compacted, rutted piece of ground harvested last fall is transformed into a fresh, new, rich-looking expanse of earth ready to be planted with this year’s dreams. Some expert tiller operators, eager to justify the ownership of a thousand-dollar-plus soil-stirring machine, have perfected their art to such a degree that they can rototill a large garden site without so much as leaving a footprint in the newly prepared ground. But not all gardeners agree with rototilling the soil every year—if at all. Each time that soil is cultivated or tilled, thousands of weed seeds are brought close to the surface, where they find just the right conditions to prosper. Roots of perennial weeds such as quack grass and dandelion may be sliced into several pieces, each chunk capable of producing another plant. It’s no wonder that weeds most often beat the crops up on a newly planted vegetable bed. The solution? Try no-till farming. Used properly, it conserves soil moisture, protects soil structure, and doesn’t disrupt beneficial soil organisms. Once the garden site is readied, the soil warmed, and the first flush of weeds dealt with, apply a thick mulch such as a few inches of compost, several inches of straw, or even sawdust. (Since sawdust robs nitrogen from the soil as it breaks down, add some fertilizer with it.) The results of mulching are many: Weeds are kept at bay, nutrients are released slowly to the soil, and plants are protected from temperature extremes. Above all, soil moisture is conserved during periods of drought. Adding new mulch every year, instead of tilling, keeps the soil in excellent shape. Just pull the mulch back to sow seeds or set plants. Before taking out a classified ad to sell your rototiller, remember: Tilling is still considered beneficial when starting new gardens, borders, and lawns because it is a good way to incorporate soil amendments. Anyway, most of us still can’t resist starting a vegetable garden on a piece of ground that wipes last year’s slate clean.

Tomatoes bring a considerable amount of pleasure even before they are eaten. (This is assuming that as a true gardener you like to putter and experiment.) In addition to deciding between different types of fruit, you get to choose between determinate and indeterminate varieties. The former (more recently developed) are sometimes called self-pruning because they stop growing at a certain point and require neither staking nor pinching back. Determinate tomatoes will ripen virtually all at once (i.e., over a seven- to ten-day period). This is great if you are growing large numbers for sauce, but for general eating it’s a rather short season. Indeterminate varieties are often favored not only for a longer yield period, but also because they are higher in sugar, and the yield in terms of numbers of fruits can be significantly larger. That latter point is no guarantee, however—you’ve got to keep to the task. Indeterminate types usually need pinching back and staking to keep them from putting all their energy into leaves. If your tomatoes are indeterminate, stake or cage them soon after planting. A cage can be surrounded by a foot-high wall of roofing paper to cut the wind and retain heat, giving the young plant a further boost. Many gardeners believe that staked plants are less subject to soil-borne disease. And of course, fruit from staked plants is easier to get at. (However, some gardeners make an argument for letting tomatoes sprawl, on the basis that the horizontal foliage will shelter fruit from sunscald and the drying effects of wind and hot sun.) An alternative to staking that will benefit both determinate and indeterminate types is mulching. A thin organic mulch of dried grass clippings can be effective. Apply it after the soil has warmed up. Plastic mulch is effective as a barrier and as a heat collector. Just be sure to leave enough of an opening right around the plant to allow water to penetrate. Given all these factors, the gardening maxim that there is no one right way to do anything is particularly applicable here. After all, isn’t that what makes gardening so interesting?

Growing plants in window boxes puts them at eye level, which lends a different perspective than having them in your garden. The plants will become part of your view to the outdoors. And from the outside, the plants and container become part of the architecture. Since wood looks nice in almost any location and can easily be custom-built to fit the length and width of a windowsill, it remains the medium of choice. Its life can be extended significantly by using the box simply as a holder for a metal or plastic planter or for several potted plants. Wood is also the easiest for mounting to your house. A word of caution here—do not set the box directly against the wood of your house. Leave an inch or two of breathing space so that moisture does not build up. All window boxes need drainage holes every few inches. Cover the bottom with a piece of large-mesh hardware cloth before adding a layer of 3/4-inch stones. Use a standard potting mix from your garden center, or mix your own using soil, peat, sawdust, sand, and a little bonemeal. Fill the box to within an inch of the top, then water and mix thoroughly. Add more soil if it has settled, and water and mix some more. What to plant? Petunias, geraniums, zinnias, nasturtiums, and begonias are good choices for main-theme flowers. Fill in with things like wandering Jew, ivy, euonymus, heather, or vinca, which will cascade over the edge of the box. Impatiens do well in shady locations. More subtle choices include coleus, heliotrope, and salvia. If you’ve got an accessible location, try planting edibles. Cherry tomatoes, lettuce, kale, and herbs will do nicely in a window box. Like flowers, they will need water every couple of days and fertilizer every two weeks. (Since a window box is just a breeze away from your living quarters, you might want to avoid aromatic fertilizer like fish emulsion.) Be sure to cultivate the soil regularly so that the water will penetrate throughout rather than just run off.

Winter is tough on plants. A snowless one exposes the soil to extreme temperature fluctuations that can damage the roots of trees and shrubs and actually heave perennials right out of the ground. Too much snow, especially the heavy or icy variety, snaps limbs and may even topple whole trees. Add to this drying winds, road salt, hungry animals, and even bright sun, and it’s a wonder plants make it through the winter at all. Choosing the hardiest plants for your particular location will eliminate much winter loss. ‘Reliance’ peach, for instance, is a tough variety that can be planted instead of ‘Elberta’ or ‘Red Haven.’ (If your spot is really cold, forget peaches altogether and stick to apples and pears.) Proper site selection will save a lot of headaches, especially when establishing evergreens. Brisk winter winds and sunlight intensified as it is reflected off snow can pull moisture from leaves and needles faster than it can be replaced. Plants such as holly, hemlock, rhododendrons, and laurel should be grown in filtered sunlight. They can be protected from wind and from browsing animals by installing barriers of snow fence or staked burlap. Not all plantings can be perfectly situated, so often it is necessary to afford them some winter protection. First and foremost, make sure plants are healthy as they head into winter. Keep watering all plants as late into the fall as possible, especially the evergreens. Plant roots grow and take in moisture long after the air temperature drops below freezing. Fall feeding should be done with a low-nitrogen fertilizer so that new growth is not stimulated. Use mulch where you can on all plants. Many perennials favor the lightness of salt marsh hay over a heavier bark mulch. Apply hay 8 inches thick over all beds. It is weed free and easily removed in the spring. Sunscald, caused by rapid heating and cooling of bark, can kill a newly planted tree quickly. Protect against scald by wrapping the trunk with tree wrap or burlap. Be sure to remove the wrap in the spring because it may harbor insects.

Long before exchanging a kiss under the mistletoe became a Christmas tradition, this curious plant was thought to possess magical and healing powers. European mistletoe is a partial parasite that has no roots and lives on the trunks and branches of host trees. Although it has evergreen leaves and can manufacture food through photosynthesis, it robs nutrients and water from its host by sending out flat-tip, rootlike extensions called “holdfasts” that tap into the tree through fissures in the bark. In the Celtic language, mistletoe means “all heal.” Ancient Druid priests held this bushlike herb sacred; they harvested it in ritualistic ceremonies and used it in sacrifices celebrating the winter and summer solstices. Because mistletoe keeps its green color and persistent white berries into winter, it became a symbol of life and fertility. In the Middle Ages, mistletoe was hung over the doors of houses and stables to protect those inside from evil spirits. The Scandinavians believed that mistletoe was a symbol of peace: When enemies met under it they could throw down their weapons and declare a truce, and quarreling couples could kiss under it and make up. During the Christian era, mistletoe was brought into the home for decoration. The 18th-century English are credited with creating kissing balls adorned with mistletoe and ribbons. It was said that no young lady standing under a ball of mistletoe could refuse to be kissed. Nowadays, we know that mistletoe berries are poisonous, especially to children, so artificial berries adorn the sprigs sold for the holiday season. These traditions came to North America with the settlers and were bestowed upon American mistletoe, commonly called Christmas mistletoe. Christmas mistletoe can be found on trees from New Jersey to Florida and west to Texas. Like its European cousin, it is a semiparasite that rarely kills host trees but may stunt them and slow their growth. Birds spread mistletoe from tree to tree by eating the white berries, which contain sticky seeds. From the earliest times, mistletoe has been considered an aphrodisiac. Perhaps this is due in part to its kissing connection. In any event, kissing under the mistletoe is one tradition that we feel will be around for a berry long time.

The American cranberry, Vaccinium macrocarpon, is a true North American native that was unknown in Europe until the colonists learned of its virtues from Native Americans. The berries, rich in vitamin C, were a welcome fresh autumn fruit that could be dried for winter use. As a medicine, they were eaten to fight colds and fever and to prevent scurvy. Today, cranberry juice is a known diuretic and is commonly used to treat urinary infections. High in antioxidants and flavinoids, the tart red berries may play a role in preventing cancer. Cranberries are low-growing evergreens, hardy to Zone 2, that send out runners much like strawberries. Each runner may grow up to three feet long and send up numerous uprights that bear thumbnail-size fruit. The plants thrive in the moist soil along the edges of bogs and wetlands. The ability of cranberry plants to survive under water for long periods of time has helped growers protect the blossoms and berries from spring and fall frosts. Cranberry bogs are constructed so that they can be quickly flooded when freezing weather is predicted. Water is often left in bogs throughout the winter to protect the plants from severe cold.  You don’t need a bog to grow cranberries; in fact, they are a great addition to the home garden. A 5x10-foot plot will yield up to ten pounds of delicious berries every September and October, just in time for holiday sauce and desserts. For best results, cranberries should be grown in full sun in a 50-50 mix of garden soil and peat moss. If your soil is sandy, remove the top eight inches and line the bottom of the bed with a sheet of six-mil plastic. Poke plenty of drainage holes in the plastic, and then fill the bed with the soil mix. Scratch in one-half pound of 10-20-10 fertilizer, and you are ready to plant. Cranberries are best planted in late April through the end of May. Six three-year-old plants spaced evenly throughout the bed will grow together to form a thick mat and should produce during the first season. A light mulch of sawdust or sand will help to root the runners. Water the new planting every day for two weeks and then as you would the rest of your garden. Fun to grow and easy to care for, cranberries are one crop that shouldn't bog down any gardener.

Before electricity and refrigeration were commonplace, and when fresh produce was only seasonably available at the grocery store, most every home had a root cellar in which to store fruits and vegetables for winter use. This was usually a separate room that was built into the north (coldest) corner of the basement and vented to the outside to provide circulation and to help regulate the temperature to just above freezing. Often there were two vent pipes: One brought in cold air close to the floor, while the top vent let out lighter, warmer air. Rock walls and a dirt floor provided enough moisture to create the high humidity needed to keep many stored crops from drying or shriveling. Apples, cabbages, and root crops such as carrots, beets, and potatoes could be kept for months when properly packed away. Even though fresh produce is now available year-round from supermarkets, many gardeners still find that a root cellar provides a convenient way to store a bountiful harvest and lower their grocery bill. Modern basements are warmer and drier than those in older houses with fieldstone foundations, but they can still be fitted with a root cellar. To provide humidity, lay two to three inches of crushed stone on the concrete floor and keep it moist with frequent sprinklings. Vegetables store best when harvested at their peak of ripeness and as late in the season as possible. A second midsummer planting of many crops will give you a lot of produce ready to store at just the right time. Root crops such as carrots and beets are good keepers; just brush off most of the dirt, clip the foliage back to about an inch above the root, and store roots in boxes of moist sand or peat moss. Potatoes simply need to be piled in a bin and covered with straw or burlap. Not all crops like cold, damp storage. Pumpkins and squash, for example, prefer a high shelf in the cellar where conditions are a bit warmer and drier. With practice, you will be able to keep celery, radishes, and even perishables such as tomatoes for months. Chances are that your great-grandparents depended on a root cellar for produce during winter. Continuing the tradition may just help you to get back to your roots.

Asian pears are not a cross between a pear and an apple, as their nicknames “oriental apple” and “apple pear” might suggest. They are a species of pear that was first cultivated in China thousands of years ago and brought to this country by Chinese miners during the days of the California Gold Rush. The white flesh of this sweet, aromatic fruit is juicy and crisp like that of an apple, but with a succulent pear flavor more often associated with familiar European pears such as ‘Bartlett’ and ‘Bosc’. The Asian pear has thousands of varieties, most of them round or oval in shape. The three dozen or so cultivars produced in the United States include ‘Hosui’, a pretty, rosy, gold-skinned pear with an intoxicating aroma of brandy; ‘Seuri’, an orange-skin variety with the essence of apricot; and ‘Shin Li’, with yellow-green skin and a slight cinnamon fragrance. Unlike European pears, which are picked green and ripen only in storage, Asian pears ripen on the tree, making theirs a great backyard tree for anyone who enjoys fresh-picked fruit at its flavorful best. Asian pears are highly ornamental and make a great addition to just about any landscape where a small- or medium-size tree is needed. A mature tree may reach 20 to 40 feet in height, while dwarf varieties will grow to only about 10 feet. Large, white, spring flowers; glossy, green, summer foliage that turns bright yellow in the fall; and bushels of colorful ripe pears all add interest throughout the seasons. You can grow Asian pears almost anywhere that European pears will grow. Be sure to check with a local nursery to see which varieties will do best in your area. All that pears require is a spot that is sunny for most of the day; rich, well-drained soil; and a thick layer of organic mulch or compost that will continuously nourish the tree while retaining soil moisture. Most Asian pears are at least partially self-fruitful and do not require another pear in order to set fruit. However, cross-pollination will create larger fruit and a bigger yield. Some European pears—especially ‘Bartlett’—can be used as pollinators for most Asian varieties; when grown together, they may just make a perfect pear. Read more about how to grow Asian Pears.