Largest / Best tasting pear

Matt,
That’s no problem some will turn up. Someone sent me some scion wood a couple of years ago but it was to old by then to take. They will likely send me some again. Thanks

Not a pear person but want to learn and try growing some. Can you explain more on this pear not ripening on the tree and the process to get it to ripen?

In all honesty I’ve only been told to pick DUCHESSE D’ANGOULEME slightly green by the owner. I bring all my pears inside to ripen because otherwise they rot from the inside out on the tree with the exception of Bartlett and Asian pears. Clapps favorite, Kieffer etc. turn brown inside. Bartlett can ripen on the tree and taste very delicious when allowed to do so. Asian Pears I allow to ripen on the tree as well such as my Drippen Honey.

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39thparallel,
I forgot to ask how the blackberries you got from me are doing? I would imagine they got a strong start this year with the extra moisture.

Years ago I ordered some pears recommended by Ed Fackler (midwestern grower) and one of the varieties was called Duchess and looks identical to yours. It is also a very high quality pear and the largest I grow so I expect it is the same pear- Stark Bros used to sell it (and maybe still does).

Similar in quality to both Sheldon and Harrow Sweet and ripens about the same time, but maybe not so productive here based on my tree and another I manage.

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Clark,

The Healthberrys are doing great! They even set a bit of fruit which had a superior flavor. I am looking forward to a bumper crop of blackberrys next year.

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Clark, if you have not already, you might want to confirm with Raintree what it’s offering as D d’A. There is a sport of the original D d’A that goes by the name Duchesse d’Angouleme Bronzee which reportedly is “superior in dessert quality” to the original, but smaller, and that might have been what Scott was referring to. The Raintree web page looks like the original

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I’ve never seen Souvenir in person, Matt, and unfortunately do not have any personal knowledge to compare. I imagine Chile has areas with the climate to grow some great pears!

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Vohd,
Thanks for letting me know. I have seen years where the pear was also blan. Its typically delicious but not the very best pear ive eaten. I will see what Scott says it sounds like. there may be three pears tbst go by the name duchess. Alan may know more as well.that 11+ inch monster pear described in the article i would bet on being the same pear. Photos do not do justice to the size this pesr can obtain. I will check with Rsintree. Thank you for the good advice.

Clark, I had thought you had the non-bronzed version, Bronzee means russet in French and your pear had no russet on it. I am pretty sure that Duchesse of @alan’s is the same as Duchesses d’Angouleme. The Bronzee version is not as common.

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Thanks Scott for the identification. I’m always on the look out for a better pear variety.That bronze variety looks promising and according to raintree it blooms with conference. Conference is another variety i have wanted for awhile now.

Located the information I was looking for about the largest best tasting pears and wanted to share it http://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/20721500/catalogs/pyrlargefruit.html

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I located turnbull giant wood this year but all my grafts of it failed on my wild callery trees. I will try it next time on ohxf333 or 87. The grafts took a couple of months to fail. A friend grafted a bunch of my Duchess this year and got 4 feet of growth out of many of them on ohxf333.

These Duchess D’ Angouleme are huge! They have at least a month left on the tree and they are already big and sweet. It’s only September 4th! They are normally picked late October to early November! Pick one off once in awhile to lighten the branch load and eat it like an Asian pear. I removed the majority of the flowers this year. They fruit early on callery rootstocks. I top worked these trees several years ago.





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Clark-

DO you think those would work in Wisconsin? I may be picking them during Thanksgiving?

I have some peaches i think won’t be ripe until october.

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They are zone 5-9 so I think they are worth a shot. They are very disease resistant as well. Almost no one grows them here but they are very good pears! We have picked them here in the snow before. I got the scions from a neighbor and Scott helped me identify them.

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Clark, Duchess, as I’m guessing you remember, was one of the recommended pears for the midwest by midwestern former Nafex fruit guru, Ed Fackler. That’s why I started growing it here in NY and I do enjoy their size and high quality as well as their relatively late ripening. I have a single tree that is being managed as an informal espalier on the edge of my veggie garden. In that capacity it is a fairly light bearer most years, but it does have a certain amount of pest resistance so I occasionally throw a graft of it on a nursery tree (that’s right, throw it on- just sharpen the point of the scion and shoot it like an arrow onto the tree and it takes!:wink:)

I bought my original bundle of trees from Starks, whose nursery is only expert on what performs in the midwest, It think.

I believe there are several late such Bartlett types of similar quality if not size (maybe Olpea should give it a shot for another record). Seems the later ones get more sugar- maybe the cool nights cut down on night time respiration and the energy saved goes to the fruit. .

If you had an early spring don’t be fooled and let the pears sit on the tree too long. In my experience once they get sweet they are ready to pick and Duchess is the type of pear that ripens best off the tree. It will sweeten somewhat in that process. Sorry if I’m underestimating your pear knowledge and giving advice you don’t need- at least it may help others.

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Thanks Alan we always appreciate your advice! I’m currently a member of NAFEX and have went over all the pear literature I can. Always looking to improve my pear growing. I don’t remember that specifically but likely have read that at some point. I’ve picked this one before and it’s not ripe. The seeds are still white though starting to turn yellow. The heat this year made them taste really good. I have ant problems already they ate holes in a pear or two to get at the sugar. I will hold them on the tree as long as I can. I will send Mark some scions this spring if he would like some. He’s been very generous to me and I’m looking for a way to repay the favor!

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No, I already offered. He is happy to focus on Harrow Sweet. Same season.

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Alan,
Those harrow sweet have a nice shape, fast growth, good disease resistance so far in my experience so I can see why he would chose those. I just started growing them this year but been very pleased with what I see. What do you think of harrow delight that he grows? What is the size of the harrows? I’ve heard slightly smaller than Bartlett. I remember you posting about them on the old GW and I was very interested in them. I’m going to see if I can get another one or two of the harrow pears in the next year or two.