Cornish Cider Company

10/21/2026

This is the pear from the tree that had reddish blossoms in the spring. The tree has fairly low vigor so I don’t think it will ever have a huge crop compared to its siblings in the orchard. Its fruit is around the size of a Seckel which is my minimum acceptable size. When I first cut into it I assumed the flesh was dry and was disappointed. On the second cut, and after a chewing the flesh, I believe it may yield juice adequately but not exceptionally. It has medium tannin which is desired so I don’t have to waste time with maceration to bring them into balance. Surprisingly the brix was at 21+! The flavor was quite promising as well, with some citrus flavors and balanced acidity. I’m hopeful next year will bear enough fruit to make a test batch.

10/10/2026

09/29/2026

Evaluating some of the last pears left in the orchard I grew from open pollinated seeds in 2016. One I’m particularly excited about.

09/26/2026

My only Blakeney Red pear to make it to fruition. I tried a few crosses with it this year but the new bags I trialed didn’t allow enough room for the long stem and the fruit snapped off. I guess I’ll give the open pollinated seeds a try.

09/02/2026

Getting the last of the seedlings into the ground. Better late than never.
Noticed a few pear seedlings with disproportionately more roots than vertical growth. Perhaps they will be more useful as a dwarfing rootstock with a larger root system.

08/27/2026

I’ll do more conclusive fireblight testing in the years to come, but I’m happy with this minor test.

08/22/2026

I was looking for a tool to speed up my nursery planting and Skillins Greenhouses 🌻🌳😺 had the perfect tool that I didn’t know existed! I previously used a bulb planter until I folded it like a taco. I’ve used a trowel but that gets uncomfortable when doing 100+.

08/16/2026

This new hop remaining is from my previous hop breeding plot. I’m pleased with its aroma. It’s almost ready for harvest which is good timing for me. I don’t want to deal with hops once apples are ripe!

08/09/2026

Another new pear variety that currently holds promise.

08/07/2026

I put a couple fireblight infected branches into the 2025 pear nursery to see if any seedlings are especially susceptible. Those that show signs will be flagged. Depending on how they recover from the infection, they will be monitored out in the orchard or culled and burned.
I know there are better ways to insure infection for a real resistance test but this is all I have the time for currently.