Ive heard good things about Warren though many sources say it takes a long time to yield and the yield is low. Im confused on this pear because other experts say its a quality pear. I plan to grow conference already so am i missing anything if i skip Warren?
I planted a Warren tree the winter of 2006-07 (not at my own place, by the way), so this was its 9th growing season since I planted it, and even though it’s a very nice size tree now – if I had to guess I’d say 4-5" in diameter – and very healthy looking (except for some minor fireblight strikes in an area where every fireblight-resistant variety I’ve tried still gets some fireblight, at least after it starts to flower), it still has yet to make the first pear. I’d have to ask to find out if it’s bloomed, but I don’t believe it has even bloomed yet.
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If yield is a hangup, then try its sibling, the Magness pear. Also slow to bear, but the yields are huge once they start coming.
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… and consider putting it on a precocious rootstock to encourage earlier fruiting, such as OHF.333, Quince, or OHF.87.
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Cousinfloyd,
We also get fireblight on the resistant varieties. It sounds like the many rumors of it baring late and little are true. I have plenty ofroom but im not sure its worth it.
Matt,
Magness may be a better choice for me based on the information I’ve got. Thanks for the good advice.
See Edible Landscaping, Cummins, & Adams County nurseries. They all have Magness on dwarf stocks. EL also occasionally stocks Warren too.
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I’d also look at Pineapple. Many people are not familiar with it, but
it’s a great pear, very precocious and a very early bearer. Mine started
bearing in it’s second year.
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Looks like the DWN SOFT program has both Warren and Magness pears on dwarf stock too. Bay Laurel or Sanhedrin nurseries might be participating.
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Still waiting my 1st fruit from Magness that was planted spring 2009 so I should be hopefully close. It’s at a different location then my residence so really gets no care.
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Rayrose,
Pineapple pear I always read is very resistant to fireblight. Is the flavor really good ? If so I will definitely try it.
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Thanks Matt
Sounds like magness is worth the wait
Clark,
The only three Euro pears that come to my mind that are real good are Harrow Sweet, Harvest Queen, and Seckel pears. I just grafted some Harvest Queen this Spring but it was a slow grower. I will try to graft Seckel and Harrow Sweet this come Spring for comparison of the taste down the road.
Tony
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Tony,
Thank you I’m trying to grow seckle now. My grafts I did a year ago got pretty beat up this year with 17 year cicada damage. The grafts took very easily when I used wild callery for the rootstock. I will take your advice on the other Euros. I got an inch- several inches of growth on both of my seckles while at the same time I got 7 feet plus on my 3 duchess grafted trees. The duchess trees will all be bearing soon. I have duchess scion wood if you want to try those in the spring. Douglas pears grew several feet as well in a year. The Clara frijs I started growing I had 8-9 foot of growth on and it will be bearing soon and I have scion wood if you need some. My point is that seckle appears to be a very slow grower and did not even reach 5% growth of any other pear grafted at the same time. Seckle as far as ease of grafting was the easiest I’ve ever done. I would like to swap some scion wood with you in the spring if you have extra and the time Tony. I won’t have extra to swap pear scions with anyone else this year. I also haveapples etc. You may like. Douglas and duchess both have the leaves of a sand pear like the Asian pears do. Like you already know I find the pears with those leaves to be superior across the board in comparison to most European pears. I grow clapps favorite and Bartlettfor flavor just because i love them…
Clark,
Sure, just drop me an email in Early March.
Tony
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The name Pineapple is a misnomer. It tastes nothing like a pineapple,
but it’s big, very firm, and sweet. with excellent flavor. It looks very much
like a Bosc.
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Ray,
Those sound like good pears. Will put those on my list of things to graft. Thanks
Clark
Warren has been in the ground here for at least 15 years…maybe closer to 20…has been bearing lightly for a number of years. Deer eat most of the fruits, as it’s on the other side of the pond from the house… and I was fairly unimpressed and disappointed in the fruit - but I’m a firm/gritty/juicy pear kind of guy…don’t care for those soft ‘butter’ pears.
Magness, grafted at the same time, has never produced a pear, to my knowlege. Magness is on OHxF 513… can’t recall at this date if Warren is also on 513 or just a P.communis seedling.
Discussions on the NAFEX discussion list over the past two decades have suggested that one or both of these two varieities are pollen-sterile, and have little to no nectar to attract pollenators. If I were committed to getting lots of fruit from them, I might opt to follow some others’ lead and just graft branches of Warren or Magness here and there into varieties that are more attractive to pollenating insects.
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We’ve discussed this many times. Magness is pollen sterile, while Warren is not. If you don’t
have other pollinators for Magness, you won’t get any fruit set, period. In your case, these two
pears cannot pollinate each other. That’s why you aren’t getting any fruit set. You need other varieties to pollinate them.
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