ABC's of Gardening: Asian pear easiest fruit tree to grow

Q. Are there any fruit trees that are easy to care for? — Lee in Tillson

A. Fruit-bearing trees can be labor-intensive. Apples are a good example. While growing apples at home organically is certainly possible, most apple varieties require regular spraying with pesticides and fungicides, regular and careful pruning, and a level of commitment to care and intervention that many homeowners find tiresome after a year or two.

We recommended the Asian pear. It is the easiest tree fruit to grow. Asian pears will often have fruit the first year.

Two good varieties are 20th Century, which is yellow and self-pollinating, and Hosui, a golden brown pear with excellent flavor.

We also recommended persimmons. This attractive tree can grow up to 30 feet tall. Persimmons are more common in the South, but are hardy in Zones 4-9. They require full sun and well-drained soil for optimum growth.

Persimmon fruits range from ¾ to 2 inches in diameter. They are pale yellow to deep orange with reddish cheeks. Unripe, the fruits are extremely astringent. When fully ripe, they are soft, nearly free of astringency, and have a mild flavor.

In addition to full sun and well-drained soil, persimmons require adequately fertile but not extremely rich soil. Some gardeners have found that excessive nitrogen can cause fruit drop.

These trees are drought-resistant, but benefit from deep watering during extremely dry weather.

Begin training trees early to four to five main stems to produce an attractive structure. They require little maintenance beyond that and are typically not very prone to pests and diseases.

Q. Do I still have to worry about Japanese beetles? — Lynn in Olive

A. Japanese beetles are active through September (even into October if we are enjoying a mild fall).

The adult beetles eat the leaves and flowers of more than 300 plants.

The larvae, called white grubs, feed on plant roots and organic matter in the soil, especially under the grass in our lawns. This feeding may result in dead patches of turf that can be picked up like a loose carpet.

Most of the eggs are laid by mid-August, though adults may be found until the first frost. The eggs hatch in 8-14 days. By October, most of the grubs dig deeper into the soil to overwinter.

If you decide to treat your lawn for grubs, do so in the late summer or early fall, when grubs are susceptible to both biological and chemical insecticides and haven't had a chance to cause severe damage.

Beneficial nematodes (microscopic worms) of the species Heterorhabditis bacteriophora are a nonchemical product that can be used on young grubs.

A variety of chemical insecticides may also be applied. Selection depends on the species and life stage of grubs present. Products containing imidacloprid are unique in that you must apply them before egg-laying and should therefore base treatment decisions on past history of grub infestation.