The pears you may not have heard of and should consider growing

General Fruit Growing
#21

Thanks for the information Clark.I received quite a few scions of Pear,including Tyson. Brady

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#22

You need to try Ayers. It fits your description perfectly.

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#23

Added it to my list, thanks Ray. I have three ohxf 87 that I will graft next spring.

#24

I can send wood, if you need some.

#25

That is very kind Ray, ( I noted your name in my book, I suspect you would have only recommended it because you grow it and know first hand)

#26

Hi Scaper, did your AbbƩ Fetel ever get fb? How long did it take to fruit?

Re the Garber, how did it taste? Iā€™ve been meaning to try that one, itā€™s the parent of several good pears. But youā€™re right I never hear it talked about, or a possible sport of Garber the Monterrey.

& how is LeConte?

Thanks,

Bob

#27

Everyone says harrow sweet is awsome too. And itā€™s supposed to be really easy. I also second the vote for Ayers. Magness is great if quince root is an option I recommend that for magness.

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#28

Abate Fetel never blighted for me but that may well have been luck. It fruited in its third year on quince. I think leconte is a good pear one of the better varieties for areas with fb and low chill. Itā€™s not as good as Moonglow and certainly not in the class of Ayers or Magness. Garber was very unique in that it had a flavor like a Euro pear but too me was at its best still crisp right off the tree. Didnā€™t taste at all like an Asian pear it had a more balanced flavor. It was a totaly different experience to me.

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#29

I think a lot must depend on soil, weather, age and other factors. I have a mature Bartlett that produces some of the sweetest pears I have ever tasted, 17-18 brix. The tree was planted only about 8 ft away from the SW wall of the house in soil covered with a couple inches of lime sand/gravel and has never received any water or care (until we moved in, now it at least gets pruned). I was surprised to find such a common pear so truly sweet and enjoyable! I canā€™t wait to see how my other pears are once they start producing (Honeysweet, Luscious, Concorde, Harrow Sweet, HW 604, Ubileen, Clara Frijs).

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Has anyone started a ā€˜what are you ordering for 2020?ā€™ Thread yet?
#30

Yes , location can mean everything. I have a Bartlett but it has not fruited yet. The Bartlett I have eaten were from the store so maybe I will like the ones I grow.

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#31

I have a couple Bartlett pear trees that have had plenty of pear however, they have been so gritty and take forever to ripen. This next year I intend to cut them back and graft on to them. I have a couple other pear trees that I really enjoy Comice and Seckel, I may try to get some scion off of them or hopefully find other sources.

This year has been my first year of grafting so Iā€™m really looking forward to grafting on to these Bartlett limbs wit some of the juicy sweet pears mentioned above.

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#32

Beierschmidt has proven quite precosious here, now if only I can beat the porcupines to them this year! The tree is flowering heavily, unfortunately, no other pears blooming nearby except for a few fowers on my Summercrisp

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#33

Last time it set fruit without any other pear tree blooming, but the fruit got eaten by porky in mid summer, so they didnā€™t get to mature. Self-fruitful?

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#34

Jesse,
Those porcupine I understand are a real pest and one we donā€™t have here. Sorry to hear he got your pears! Beierschmidt could be self fruitful if Bartlett is a parent because Bartlett is self fruitful in warmer climates. Bartlett is partially self fruitful in cooler climates.

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#35

I started measuring pear brix this last summer for the first time. Both Fondante des Moulins-Lille and Docteur Desportes (two mentioned by Clark above) were up to 20 brix. They are both excellent pears. My Superfin was only 11 brix. I donā€™t have Bartlett but have the Nye sport of Bartlett and it was also very sweet but I didnā€™t get a measurement on it.

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#36

maybe not a bartlett? I have one that was bought as a bartlett, but I think it is a kieffer. I think this has mentioned by other people, too.

#37

That is interesting you say that because it was an original tree I planted 20 years ago and it was originally marked but lost its tags. It is very possible it is a Kieffer to me they look pretty much alike in photos.

Whatever it isā€¦ I sure look forward to getting some juicy sweet pears to replace it.

Thanks
Bob

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#38

I planted a Passe Crassane this year to help me extend my fruit bearing time (harvest in December, hold until Januaryā€¦at least). Fresh fruit in January? Yes, please. Hereā€™s the link:

http://www.arboreumco.com/store/products/passe-crassane

I also planted a Packhamā€™s Pride, which is a later bearing Bartlett, essentially. Itā€™s already taking off.

Iā€™ve got space for one or two more, but Iā€™ve got so much summer fruit, I need later bearing pears, like late September or later. Some of these sound amazing, but which ones bear later?

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#39

My late-season classics are:

-Gorham (Oct)
-Seckel (Oct/Nov)
-Magness (Oct/Nov)

I am also pursuing:

-Docteur Desportes (late ripening? Oct?)
-Elliot (late ripening? Oct?)
-Harrow Sweet (late ripening? Oct?)
-Worden (ripe Sept but keeps in fridge thru Nov?)
-Winter Nelis (keeps in fridge thru Dec?)

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#40

Duchess is a Very late pear for us. September or later and we tend to ripen everything early. Bartlett, clapps favorite, Kieffer etc ripen in July here so thatā€™s at least a month ahead of most ripening pears due to our hot sun.

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