Harrow pears - my observations

Interesting!!! Yeah I hope to get a few more Harrow introductions for experimenting!! I am very hopeful about the others i have as well, Blakes Pride, Harvest Queen, Potomic, Shenandoah etc… I love it here in KS and have several acres of this cheap land to experiment on… :slight_smile: the key is to get stuff planted soon so 7 years from now we can be well on the way to assessing results!!! :slight_smile:

4 Likes

@PaulinKansas6b
Potomac are beautiful pears and did very well here in terms of production but were literally blown off the trees this year. Pears can do very well in Kansas but its going to take us some time to work them in to the crop rotation schedule here. I’m determined to revive the interest in pears in this state and introduce or promote them in the rest of the world. It’s my goal to make pears the #1 fruit out there. There are people like @coolmantoole that are just as determined to promote them in the South or Bernie in Canada. Pears should be planted in 1000x more acreage than what they are! @PaulinKansas6b you and I , @39thparallel, @Olpea and many others will revive interest in pears in this state!

4 Likes

I should have mentioned on my previous post that I realized you already knew much of what I wrote. I routinely post stuff for others with less experience.

I was under the impression you grafted your pears on wild trees that were already on the property.

1 Like

Yes in many cases i do dig up wild pears and plant them on my property or order BET, callery, ohxf rootstocks etc. To use.

That is great Clark!!! Yeah pear is in my top fruits and I plan to add a dozen more soon!!! :slight_smile: I also added a russian pear that they say has never had its blooms damaged and is as much as a month later bloomer than average!!!

3 Likes

@clarkinks,
I saw this dead twig on my HS last week and forgot about it. I broke off the dead twig today. Noticed that the last leave on it was still healthy green. It looked like fire blight but it did not spread after a week since spotted it.

2 Likes

Its odd is does not have a shepards hook like fireblight does.

May not be fire blight. Not sure what it was. That much turned totally black. The branches around it have no issue at all.

I also picked all my HS today, a bit later. I got too busy with late peaches. Forgot about the pears.

1 Like

@mamuang you might find this article interesting Dead branches on growing pear tree - Ask an Expert. How are your Duchess D’ Angoulme pears doing? Were there any black spots on your pears leaves?

I don’t think it this issue but will need to check the tree more carefully tomorrow.

1 Like

My HS weighed anywhere from 5-8 oz.

7 Likes

I didn’t weigh my HS but they ranged from small to medium. As their name indicates they were very sweet. I normally peel my pears before eating but this one could be eaten with the skin. Right now HS and Korean Giant are my best. I grafted in several others this year and I’m excited to see how they compare to these two. New ones that might fruit in 2020 are Harrow Delight. Potomac, Shenandoah, and Southern Bartlett. I added some others but I don’t think they will bloom.

2 Likes

I put HS in a fridge for about 10 days, took them out and left them on a counter for 2-3 days. Couldn’t wait so I tried two this morning.

Very nice and sweet but the flesh was not softened yet. I could have wIted but…:relieved:

Brix was 18 and 20. Although I planted several other varieties of pears on OHxF 87, I think I will graft a few HS on those trees. It is a proven excellent pear for me.

My original HS is in a partial shade (bad planning in 2012). It has not been productive at all. Don’t plant fruit trees in partial shade if you are not in a very warm zone.

8 Likes

I enjoy this this topic and go back and read it from time to time. Callery is everywhere in my location and some have probably adapted to the wet conditions. A rootstock that can withstand wet/standing water has tremendous value/potential in my opinion. Many people worry about how fast the seedling are reproducing but my opinion is that the time to worry has passed so we need to make the most of these trees.

3 Likes

How can you make the most of a tree that is become invasive and taking over the fields and empty lots in your area and in the entire state?

Graft Winter Nelis on top of callery and it produces Winter Nelis. I have 3 trees growing from grafts made this spring on rootstocks from my neighbor’s bradford pears which he planted about 20 years ago.

3 Likes

Harrow delight and Harrow sweet will always have a place on my farm. Like everything about these pears.

3 Likes

Keep an eye on your Harrow sweet it’s nearly that time for harvest in Kansas. Mine occasionally get some rot.

2 Likes

Just a reminder if your not growing Harrow station pears already highly recommend you try them!

3 Likes

I put a toe into the pool today and purchased Harrow Crisp. My vendor says zone 4 hardy, but I do see many that say zone 5. Nothing wagered, nothing gained.

1 Like