Ode to an unknown pear, aka I'm about to take it out

General Fruit Growing
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I have a pear tree in the edge of my yard that has not fruited properly in 4 growing seasons. This tree was on the property when I purchased it late in 2019. The tree is multi-stem with at least half a dozen growing stems. It is over 2 feet diameter at the base considering the multiple stems. So what is the problem?. One year it made a few dozen small fruits Seckle size or smaller and all of them were damaged by insects. It blooms super late, about 6 weeks after other pears I have planted/grafted. There are no other pears in this area that bloom at the same time. Iā€™m wondering if the problem is lack of a compatible pollinator?

The tree is in a location I would prefer to clear anyway so this is just to have a discussion about super late blooming pears. What is the latest blooming pear you have? or know of?

I watched for callery pears in this area this spring and observed one that blooms nearly the same time as the pear in my yard. This is extremely unusual as callery tends to be among the first pears to bloom. The late blooming tree is about 10 miles away so too far for bees to fly.

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My small yellow pear is by far the latest but overlaps part of groups 3 and 4 and 5. Interesting thing it is still blooming now in a few places. There is nothing else blooming right now this late in Kansas. The tree is very clever about ensuring it gets a crop. It will even bloom again later if it wants to in the summer and set a fall crop of tiny pears. A late bloomer is worth its wait in gold. In zone 7b i got to tell you that is a very valuable pear. Beurre Bosc is group 5 which is even as late or later than my small yellow pear. Maxine and Red Clapps favorite are group 4 but will overlap bosc. Imagine a pear that misses all the late freezes. Seckle and anjou can be late bloomers as well. Anjou, Bartlett, Comice, Seckel technically will be ending bloom as bosc is starting to need pollen. I mentioned them like that because those are your grocery store pears. It is likely that tree is seckle or in the seckle family. A good pollinator tree is all that is needed and you will get tons of fruit.

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late blooming sounds like a useful trait. If your about to take out the tree. Maybe graft a new one? or send some scions to others to try and preserve it?

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This year was my worst with almost a total loss of pear fruit. A late bloomer would be valuable to me.

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Have you thought of grafting on a late bloomer? Taking advantage of the existing root system you would have lots of pears in a year or two.

The size tree you have could bear a number of different types ripening at different times all year long.

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