What are some of the best rootstocks for Asian pears?
I am in zone 4/5, and so p. betulifolia seems not hardy enough, also I’ve heard that European rootstocks lead to a shorter life. I am leaning towards p. ussuriensis.
I would love to hear people’s opinions and experiences.
Thanks
I am going to purchase some ohxf 87 for next spring. I plan to graft both European pears and Asian pears onto it. I read that Asian pears do well on it although I do not know how hardy it is. I am in zone six so I think it will be fine here.
Pyrus ussuriensis is said to be hardy to zone 4 as is Pyrus betulifolia according to some nurseries https://www.lawyernursery.com/PDF_static/LawyerNurseryFruitTreesRootstocks.pdf. Many experts think Pyrus ussuriensis is actually hardy closer to zone 3 than 4 https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/trees/handbook/th-3-91.pdf. I will let someone like @Lucky_P who actually has grown pears on ussuriensis answer your questions on it being a viable rootstock for Asian pears. I agree with Derby that OHXF87 are hardy in fact they are to zone 4 and great rootstocks Pyrus Old Home x Farmingdale 87 | Willamette Nurseries rootstock clonal seedling fruit tree ornamental seedlings. If you want a larger tree OHXF97 is great Pyrus Old Home x Farmingdale 97 | Willamette Nurseries rootstock clonal seedling fruit tree ornamental seedlings
My Asian pear combo tree is on ohxf333 and it’s by far the worst performing tree in my orchard. Absolutely no vigor. I do not think I’ll buy any more on this rootstock. The tree will likely be dead by spring.
Yes, I’ve got some growing on OH x F 97, but I just read in Michael Phillips book that Asian pears don’t live very long on European rootstocks. I know that in China, Asian pears can live for hundreds of years. I assume they are using Ussuriensis, but don’t really know.
Chestnut,
I now understand what you are saying when you talk about, the not hardy you are referring to is not the rootstock but rather the influence the rootstock has over the Asian pear. That makes since but I still don’t have an answer to p ussuriensis but this link will better explain what you are asking for the sake of others reading this Asian Pears - Fruit & Nut Research & Information Center . You mean “Asian pear trees like 20th Century are about as winter hardy as Bosc pears tolerating about -20°F but are less hardy than Bartlett and Anjou. Asian pear rootstocks’ tolerances for winter cold are 10°F for P. calleryana, 0 to -10°F for P. betulaefolia and -30°F for P. communis and P. serotina.” The very confusing part about the above listed article says “Most Japanese pear varieties are dwarfed about 50% on P. communis rootstock so California growers and nurseries prefer P. betulaefolia is used to prevent hard-end, a problem in some areas where P. serotina is used as a rootstock for Japanese pears. P. serotina or P. ussuriensis are cold-hardy to -40°F and could be used as an Asian pear rootstock in California but lack winter hardiness for most areas outside of California” How would a rootstock hardy to -40F make the Asian pear lack cold tolerance in places outside of California?
For the people thinking about European pears do not use ussuriensis or serotina because they will get pear decline. See this link http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/documents/treefruit/pnw341e.pdf. Since your thinking of using the rootstocks for Asian Pears read the article very closely. Your still gambling on those not getting pear decline.
Speedster1,
I don’t think 333 is vigorous enough for Asian pears. Highly vigorous rootstocks such as 97 or betulifolia are normally used. I think 333 are very good rootstocks according to everything said about them. Getting 100 of them this year for FB resistant European varieties.
I have a very large Cleveland flowering pear tree that I multi grafted lots of Asian and Euro pears on. The Asian and Euro pear crossed with the Cleveland flowering pear. I got lots of seedlings popped up near the big CFP. I used them for rootstocks. They are very cold hardy down to -20F or more. I grafted many Asian and Euro pear varieties on these rootstocks and they grew real fast like 3 to 4 feet of growth in one summer on an 1/2 inch rootstocks.
Tony
Still, other sources say:
5) Research on cold tolerance
P. betulaefolia is believed to be the most cold-tolerant
Pyrus species and, according to Liao et al. (1997b), is
able to tolerate temperatures up to −45°C after cold
hardening.
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jjshs1/81/1/81_1_1/_pdf
That’s interesting. I’ve avoided P. betulaefolia because everything I’ve read has indicated it isn’t very winter hardy. I usually see it listed to zone 5 or 6
Does anyone has experience using quince?
I’m also curious about Asian pear on quince Seems like it will need an interstem from my very limited understanding
I can’t find the source, but the reason I recall reading was it’ll have come out of dormancy in places with late freezes and get zapped.
It says in the same paragraph that P. Pyrifolia is among the least cold tolerant species. So the rootstock might confer some cold tolerance, or at least get the tree fully dormant when it needs to be, wouldn’t you still be looking at the tree dying back to the graft union if the scion simply can’t take the lower temperatures?
Pyrus Ussuriensis is the most cold hardy pear in the world, so if you’re looking for maxim cold hardy or to grow Ya Li (zone 6) in a colder area, go for it!
Below is a screenshot from Wikipedia in Russian, cold hardy down to - 50 Celsius ~ -60F!
It will outlive anything you graft on it, unless it’s a cultivar of Pyrus Ussuriensis.
But unless you are colder than zone 4 I would go with Pyrus Betulifolia which is ideal for Olympus Asian pears… Which are among the best Asian pears unless you count Fragrant pears, which are not only more cold hardy but more flavorful and downright delicious!
Alternatively you could get OHxF87 (or 97 but apparently 87 is actually more vigorous) and hope it is vigorous enough to cause precocious bearing and dwarfing, if not, you might get big late bearing trees.
Good luck.
e
When you say more cold hardy “Fragrant pears,” what do you mean? What varieties?
That is a difficult question.
But judging from how close to Russia high production areas of fragrant pears are, those trees must be cold hardy to at least one zone colder, meaning they should be hardy to Zone 3 or at least 3b.
Unfortunately in the West fragrant pears are a bit of a mystery. And I do not live in China so that is not so easy to say.
But with some effort they should be available as scions from California. I have t seedlings on my parents’ property, we’ll see what happens with them.
Flavor and cooking:
Comparison of many pears:
Possible leads on buying fragrant pears trees or scions:
Every pear rootstock has upsides and downsides as you mention. Many people plant harbin in colder zones but it can be given to decline which is a fatal disease transmitted by psylla. I have several harbin pears. BET rootstocks are hardy and aggressive growers. They are thorny and will grow anywhere but they are killed easily by fireblight. Ohxf87 and 97 are preferred here by voles , rabbits and deer. Callery are considered an invasive. They are the hardiest of the rootstocks. The wild types are adaptible, resistant to disease and rodents.