Flowering with what are suppose to be hosui and Korean Giant . Once that new Asian pear fruit forms I can confirm that since this is the first year they fruited. In Kansas DH overlaps kieffer, Duchess, Douglas etc. Which is right now . The European pears start first and DH opens half way through the bloom. Kieffer is in the petal fall phase now for 95% of the blooms but some flowers are still blooming.
Well, my first experience with grafting was completed on April 1st with 21 scions from the Duchesse D’Angouleme tree I had posted a pic of earlier. A number of them are leafing out and looking healthy while others have started to leaf out but are of questionable health. I’ve attached a pic but it’s blurry. I’ll try to get someone to take clearer pics for me in the near future. If just one graft takes I will have succeeded in saving my grandparent’s 120 year old tree for future generations. 
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Some of those look like they are leafing out fairly good. Anytime you graft on newer rootstock it takes a little more time for the grafts to establish. New rootstocks lack the roots to feed the grafts very well so the first year I make sure and water them good and keep a close eye on them while they get established. Duchess may be very slow to take at times so hopefully you get more grafts leafing out in the upcoming weeks. Getting starts off that old tree is certainly worth doing it’s really very unusual to see one that big and healthy looking.
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Thanks for the encouragement. I figure that even if most grafts don’t take, I can try again next year with root stock which will have established a healthy root system. I’ve attached 2 better pics. I used rubber bands and wax. I’ll post another update in a month.
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Nice job. Good looking grafting work. Good luck with the trees. I was very interested in this pear after reading about it here. Then seeing how long you had your pear tree. I figured why not?
Seeing your grafting makes me want to try my luck at that. I will do some next year. I like the setup you have here. Thank you for posting such nice pictures.
I just planted a Duchesse D’Angouleme pear tree yesterday. The grafted tree looked really healthy and a nice thick graft too. I’ll see how long it takes to get some fruit.
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Typically 2-3 years until they fruit.
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When you are waiting for your new tree to produce fruit it feels like FOREVER, doesn’t it? Just to get that one ripened piece of fruit and take that first bite. That little bit of self satisfaction of thinking to yourself, " that was a good choice". Or so you hope anyway.
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That’s why you need to grow more than one kind of fruit, so you don’t go crazy, waiting, like Patsy Cline.
Investment advisors call it a diversified portfolio, but I call it 100 kinds of delicious.
John S
PDX OR
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Graft update. I’ve had some grafts take so I think I can count my efforts as being successful.
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Well, I’m new to this group, but the pears I am experimenting with are all fireblight immune or highly resistant, and take to -40C and colder. They are of commercial quality or better according to reports. Only a few varieties have fruited so far for me, but here is a description of the better ones. I am in zone 3 and all have been fully hardy so far.
Bryansk Beauty…a red pear, large, 220 grams, stores two months, exceptional taste
Simply Maria…a new release, hardy to -40C, large, keeps two months, excellent quality
Nika (Nick)…a large pear with a beautiful red blush, keeps 3 months…hardy to -40C
Autumn Korshikova…Hardy to -42C, large, beautiful, very tasty
Marshal Zhukov…Bore a full crop after many days in winter down to -42C (about -45F). This is a very large pear, as good as southern commercial pears. Named after the old Minister of Defence in the old Soviet regime
Sverdlovchanka…In warm climates this is an exceptional summer pear. In zone 3 climates it is an excellent tasting fall pear.
Krasnobokaya…(means “red on the sunny side” in Russian. This has fruited for me and to me the taste is better than any supermarket pear. Photo attached. This pear survived -48.3C in Russia with significant damage, but it did survive and recover. Photo attached from September.
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I’ve incorporated the Duchesse d’Angouleme pear into a short story for my father.
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A lovely story, thank you so much!
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Excellent story thank you for sharing!
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I ordered a Duchess d’Angouleme pear , planted it, now it died. I’ll have to wait until next year to try growing one again. It never did take, spouted a little bit of green then it turned brown. Another year wasted. Uggg.
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Duchesse d’Angouleme has a dozen or so pears still on the tree though there were very strong winds here last night that knocked down some Harrow sweets and other pears. The spring frosts and freezes knocked out many of the flowers. The pears have taken a beating this year but I’m looking forward to feasting on these beauties in a couple of months! Remember this is not a melting pear.
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It is a great pear, lucky you!
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Duchess was not large this year and they are far to early! Had them just coming off in my hand today so I picked them but I don’t like them being this early or this small! They are on the left in the last picture for size comparison. At least they are in the storage room now.
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Please don’t mistake those curly things for a pear, Way to crunchy!!
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I’ve got tears streaming from my eyes I laughed so hard Chikn! Maybe that was a bad place to put those bulbs. Those bulbs hardly ever burn out and they were selling them for $10 a package online! I want to try the new ones https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B071NPTPM1/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1503698645&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=light+bulbs+long+life&dpPl=1&dpID=51sIME9q9yL&ref=plSrch but my old ones are going on 2 years and I still have replacements and 1 finally burned out! I may have bought a lifetime supply!
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