Anyone aware of a source (at this late date) for OHxF 333 pear rootstock? Raintree is out - only has Quince rootstock, and that’s not a good choice for us out here with our FB issues. Grandpa’s Orchard is also out. Cummins is also out, but does has OHxF 87, which would be my 2nd choice. Any other sources for pear rootstock that folks are aware of?
Patty S.
You could contact Maple Valley Orchards to see if they have any. Most places look like they are out already.
Thanks, AJ. Tried to call, but no answer. I’ve sent an email, so crossing my fingers.
Patty, I’m a big fan of quince rootstock even in my fireblight-prone climate. Nothing beats a well-behaved and early-fruiting pear tree. I had thought you were similar or less prone than I am. I had thought that only in the southeast does it need to be avoided. Make sure all the sprouts at the base are trimmed back, that is the main way you can kill the tree is by those sprouts getting infected.
I am growing out some quince seedlings bred for resistance to fireblight, maybe one of them would make a good rootstock. There is one that never gets any fireblight on it.
We just don’t have anything out here on quince that I’ve ever seen, Scott. UC Davis doesn’t recommend it for California, and you’ll never see a pear on it, commercially, here in California. Surprisingly, we have a fair amount of FB out here. I think mainly because we have a LOT of host plants for the organism all over the place here, i.e., a gazillion Bradford Pears (used heavily here in S. California starting in the '70’s, as commercial boulevard & landscaping trees) all non-managed and with visible strikes if you know what you’re looking for, a lot of Pyracantha, in yards and escaped to open areas (bird droppings), Toyon (a California native), and loquats just to name a few. Mountain Ash as well (one right down the street that will bet filled with very striking red fruits, but I cringe every time I walk past in on my morning walks.) I was sitting in the backyard of my sister’s house in Oceanside, and looking out at a large and old, shockingly old, Bradford pear. Planted in the '70’s and still alive. But, I noticed up at the top all sorts of strikes. I told my sister to watch her apple trees in her back yard for FB, since that huge Bradford planted in the sidewalk strip was pretty badly infected. I’m willing to give something a try that is proving to be resistant, but for us out here, you’ll see pears pretty much on OHxF 333, or OHxF 87.
I got most of my pears on quince from Sierra Madre Farms which was somewhere in California (they folded a year or two ago). Here is a UC Davis page listing quince as a pear rootstock: Pear Scion & Rootstock Selection - Fruit & Nut Research & Information Center and here is another: Quince as Pear Rootstock - Fruit & Nut Research & Information Center Maybe they changed their opinion recently to be more positive on it. My guess is we have more fireblight than you do, but in general we are up to our ears in disease so we probably have a higher level of tolerance. Anyway, I understand if you don’t want to use it, its more risk. For me, I find it so much more precocious than OHxF333 or any other stock that I won’t plant pears on any other stock any more. And I have yet to have a single strike on any of the half dozen pears on it, in a period when I had several strikes on my pears on other stocks. The bulk of fireblight susceptibility is the exposed variety on top, not the roots under the ground.
Sierra Madre Farms was located up in N. California, Santa Cruz area. Quite a distance from where I am in S. California. I"m sure you all have more FB than us, here for sure, but other Calif growers just never seem to use quince, Bay Laurel Nursery, DWN for two. Interestingly, both Sierra Madre and Trees of Antiquity (in Paso Robles, which is really Central California) do tend to use quince. I’m guessing they don’t have the same issues we have down here in S. California with FB, and probably due to less host plants. So, that’s just the explanation about lack of quince here that I see in my area of California. I don’t mind giving it a try. Where I have my pears is actually in an ideal place to keep an eye on them - they are all planted on either side of my driveway, so I can inspect them on a regular basis. Willing to give it a try, Scott.
I wouldnt be afraid to give x87 a try. I find it to be very precocious here, but we are in 2 totally different growing climates. It is used in high density commercial orchards as well.
Another option is to buy any DWN Asian Pear. They are almost always on 333. You can top work it but it wouldn’t be dormant right now though.
I do have several pears on x87, and even one (Comice) on 97. I’m betting my PIneapple is also on 97 as it is my tallest pear.
I also really quince as a rootstock as long as you are using known compatible varieties. I have significant FB pressure here in Texas and also tons of host plants and I haven’t noticed any difference in FB strikes at all vs. Calleryana rootstock. In fact I really think the reduction in vigor helps combat FB. All that being said have you checked Willamette Valley nursery? They used to have 333.
Drew
Drew, is there a listing of compatible cultivars with quince? I’m going to be grafting an unknown cultivar, so that might pose a problem in this particular circumstance.
What quince are you using?
I had an D’Anjou on Province Quince. It had a strange issue where the leaves started turning yellow at the end of August every year. It looked like iron chlorosis. I tried treating as such, but nothing worked. The leaves eventually dropped early and then the tree would grow back healthy leaves the next spring. It did this for a few seasons before the first winter below -10ºF killed it (I didn’t know they aren’t cold hardy enough for 5A). It solved the problem, but not the mystery. I’ve never had iron chlorosis issues with anything before, so I’m not sure it that was actually the issue. If it was, it must have been some compatibility issue with my soil and climate. I don’t think there is a compatibility issue with D’Anjou and Quince? 
Patty I’m pretty sure the germplasm repository in Corvallis keeps a quice compatible list on there website. Do you grow Abate Fetel or Magness? Both are known to be very quince compatible and yu could use them as an interstem for your unknown variety.
Drew
How tall is your tallest? Just wondering what to expect since I have a 97.
I do have both, Drew. Just got my Abate Fetal a few days ago, and it’s going in the ground tomorrow, in fact (it’s on OHxF 333). Magness was planted last year, and it’s on OHxF 87. So, I could use them if I needed to, thanks, didn’t even think of that. And thank you, Clark, I’ve saved the links. Very helpful. Susu, my Pineapple is probably 12’, and getting pruned back down after fruiting. My pears don’t get overly tall, overly fast out here. Nothing like my stone fruits do. Even some of my apples will send out some pretty tall branches. But, my pears are much better behaved, even my Pineapple, which is my biggest pear tree.
Be forewarned that Magness is pollen sterile. Awesome pears, but it’ll need a pollinator.
JG
Cidery, I have about 20 different pear cultivars in this general area. Lots of pollinator options for Magness 
Yeah mine is right next to Hosui Asian pear which seems to be a good pollinator for this thing. It has set fruit a few times for me now. Biggest problem I’ve had is the almost total lack of chill latley in Dallas. It has said few nice blooming clusters but nothing like it had a few years ago when we had more chill.