Moonglow pear

[clarkinks]

Think im going to give moonglow a try again this year. Anyone succesful with moonglow?

This description does not fit my experience but i’m going to try it again.
"Moonglow Pear produces fruits as beautiful as they are delicious. The medium to large, yellow-tan fruits are blushed with pink—and they have a wonderful, mild flavor and soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture with very little grit. While good for fresh eating, Moonglow Pear is also excellent for making into fresh juice and canning. The fruits ripen in early August, about two weeks before the popular Bartlett Pear. The trees exhibit high resistance to fire blight. For optimal fruit production, use Barlett Pear or Seckel Pear as a pollinator. 700 chill hours are required for a successful harvest. Zones 5-8.

"

Moonglow Pear | Gurney's Seed & Nursery Co.

[poncirusguy]

I don’t find Moonglow to be particularly tasty but it can make good mock apple sauce. The squirrels really like them.

[Robert]

Grafted over all my moonglows. I’d skip it.

[blueKYstream]

I have 3 Moonglow I planted in 2019. One I suspect got fireblight in the first year and died (the only one of about 30 pears planted). We had two severe late frosts that Spring too. I replanted another. All but the one have been healthy to date. None have fruited yet. I haven’t had a chance to see if fruits have formed on any this year.

[clarkinks]

Moonglow did pretty poor for me in the past as well. Going to see how it does on BET this time.

[Richard]

You know, sometimes you have to keep trying until the plant convinces you one way or another. After 3 or 4 tries, we finally found a spot in our yard where English lavender thrives. It just likes it there over other locations. I’ve no idea why!

[mayhaw9999]

I agree with Robert. There are entirely too many good pears that ripen when Moonglow does. Harrow Delight and Harvest Queen come to mind.

[clarkinks]

@mayhaw9999

The pears developed at the harrow station are easier to grow as well. My interest in it really isn’t as much about eating it as it should be. It is more about potomac Potomac Pear on OHxF 87 - Cummins Nursery - Fruit Trees, Scions, and Rootstocks for Apples, Pears, Cherries, Plums, Peaches, and Nectarines.

"
Potomac is an excellent choice for both home orchards and commercial growers. This tree is suitable for organic production; it is vigorous and precocious, but most importantly, it is highly resistant to fireblight. Potomac is not self-fertile, and it will need a pollination partner. Seckel should be avoided, as Potomac is incompatable with this variety.

This pear is a cross of Moonglow and Anjou, and it is Anjou-like in form and flavor. Ripening about two weeks after Bartlett, the skin is glossy green and the flesh is fine, aromatic, and buttery. A subtle acid tang balances the sweetness. Potomac pears will store for up to ten weeks."
"

[Nfg831_Z6b]

The problem I’ve had with it is for me, it’s very susceptible to fireblight, despite the claims. I even spray streptomycin. I am in hot, humid Virginia.

[Hillbillyhort]

My moonglow does good here in hot - humid Wv.
No significant FB strikes, melt in your mouth delicious.
Mid August, does not keep long .

[AndySmith]

My Moonglow on OHxF333, grafted in 2018, is blooming for it’s first time this spring:

[clarkinks]

Very interesting the different perspectives on this pear. I’m going to entertain the idea i was growing it wrong. Had it grafted to kieffer as an interstem.

[BlueBerry]

I grafted it to OHxF333 and also to callery pear last year. I’ll find out eventually if it’s a ‘keeper’.

[snowflake]

If Potomac inherited a lack of FB resistance from moonglow, then I will definitely need to keep a close eye on Potomac!!! Maybe the records were accidentally mixed up like some of the U. Minnesota apples.

[clarkinks]

@snowflake

Potomac is very delicious and very resistant to fireblight. It is likely my most resistant cultivar. Anjou hide some recessive genes that are highly resistant to fireblight. This Old home pear - #6 by clarkinks will be an eye opener if you have the time to read it. Interesting i thought farmingdale tasted a bit like D’ anjou! It should farmingdale is a seedling of anjou. Farmingdale will not get fireblight even when it has direct contact. Have been testing farmingdale here.

[snowflake]

@clarkinks
I’ve never had a problem with Potomac either. Maybe they accidentally got lightning in a bottle if Moonglow is truly a parent.

I never noticed anything particularly tasty about moonglow compared to some other pears. But I’ll keep pruning out FB because I’m stubborn that way. It’s never progressed fast enough to completely kill the tree. So, here I would call it FB susceptible, and perhaps somewhat resistant once it’s infected.

[clarkinks]

@snowflake

It is possible the fireblight resistance of potomac comes from anjou not moonglow. Anjou seedlings like farmingdale are occasionally resistant to fireblight. I’m growing farmingdale for fun. It tastes pretty good , much better than many of the so called improved fireblight resistant pears. It should since it is related to anjou which van mon’s created.

Question the History of a pear or know some history? Post it here!

Van mons used both early premature seed harvest and rotting fruit for methods of cultivation among other tricks he had! He was an exceptional fruit breeder even among other exceptional fruit breeders. In modern times some may laugh at his methods but they have never matched his results nor would they laugh at him any longer when reminded of the facts! " Van Mons’ Theory of Fruit-tree Breeding Van Mons’ Theory of Fruit-tree Breeding One thing is certain: Van Mons, the Belgian plant breeder, in…

Breeding New Varieties of Fruit

When people speak of breeding fruits it’s best not to overlook Van Mons work Untitled Document "The American Journal of Horticulture and Florist’s Companion, 5: 274-276 (May 1869) VAN MONS’S THEORY By Robert Manning, Salem, Mass. All of our standard pomological authors, in considering the subject of producing new varieties of fruit, invariably begin by reference to the theory and practice of Van Mons. Van Mons was born at Brussels in 1765, and, at the age of fifteen, sowed in his father’s g…

" Moonglow pear tree

• Check pollinators >

• Self-fertility: Not self-fertile

• Pollination group: 3

A high quality early season dessert and culinary pear, very resistant to fireblight.

Moonglow is a high-quality early-season pear, which ripens about a week before Bartlett. The fruits are large with a sweet flavor, reminscent of Bartlett and Comice - from which it is descended.

As with most pears, pick slightly early and then ripen indoors. Newly-picked fruits will have some acidity and can be used at this point for cooking.

How to grow

Moonglow is very resistant to fireblight, one of the most serious diseases of pears.

Advice on fruit tree pollination.

History

Moonglow was raised in the 1960s by the US Dept.of Agriculture as part of a program to develop pears which were resistant to fireblight. Moonglow is a cross between an old variety called Roi Charles de Wurtemburg and an experimental variety called Michigan 437 which was derived from Bartlett and Comice. This parentage explains its good flavor characteristics.

Moonglow characteristics

• Gardening skillAverage
• Self-fertilityNot self-fertile
• Pollination group3
• Pollinating othersGood
• PloidyDiploid
• Bearing regularityRegular
• Fruit bearingSpur-bearer
• WildlifeRHS Plants for Pollinators
• Picking seasonEarly
• UsesEating freshCulinary
• CroppingGood
• Keeping (of fruit)1 week
• Flavor style (apples)Sweeter
• General resistanceGood
• FireblightVery resistant
• Summer maximum temperaturesCool ( 20-24C / 68-75F)Warm (25-30C / 76-85F)
• Country of originUnited States
• Period of origin1950 - 1999
• Fruit colorGreen - light"

Moonglow pear tree for sale from Orange Pippin

[snowflake]

@clarkinks

It is possible the fireblight resistance comes from anjou not moonglow.

That’s a good point. I have a red anjou that has not yet had FB. It’s had other issues, but not FB. Of course, with it’s other issues, it hasn’t bloomed yet after quite a few years, so there’s that too

[clarkinks]

@snowflake

Had the same experience with red anjou it never grew here but stayed alive. It never flowered. Some pears are not happy here in Kansas. Potomac starts out slow giving a few pears here and there. They used to get blown off by the wind every year. Eventually it sets a beautiful large crop of pears and hangs onto them. This year it is loaded and the pears are excellent. Put in many more potomac this year.

[snowflake]

@clarkinks

I’ve had good luck with potomac too. My memory is awful so I can’t recall exactly what I think of them since I don’t take good notes. But, the bright side is that each year is a new mystery of discovering each pear all over again With the total crop loss this year, it will have to wait another year.