All depends on your zone too. Callery does not survive my USDA 3b winters.
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All three of my Asian Pears on OHxF333 I planted last season perished or had significant trunk death during the winter. In the fall they seemed alive and well, but in the winter the trunks turned dark (almost black). I’m not quite sure whether the trees died because they were planted in heavy clay soil or because deer completely defoliated them last June. It could be combination of both.
For replacement, I planted new Asian pears trees on Betulifolia root stock. Based on helpful suggestions from folks here, Betulifolia is said to be more vigorous, and better in heavy clay soil. I also added some 3D electric fencing to keep the deer out. Crossing my fingers for a better season.
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BET will do fine in heavy clay if my property is any example. BET loves it here in this soil.
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I hope so. Betulifolia and Callery (random volunteers are on my property) are my last hope.
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I’m buying callery and something smaller next year. Who sells the largest rootstock?
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I’m sure williamette will have what you need. They are commercial so their minimums start at around 50or 100 trees FRUIT TREE SEEDLINGS | Willamette Nurseries rootstock clonal seedling fruit tree ornamental seedlings
Hi @clarkinks ,
How long does it take for your pears on betulifolia and callery to fruit in your experience?
How much more difficult is it to graft on callery vs others? Are asian or euros more difficult? Do you know fairly right away (~month) that the graft failed or is it a more latent discovery?
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Asians can flower the first year. They generally flower way before the tree can even support the fruit.
Euros I would not expect anything for a while. Clarkinks will know more.
Callery and BET work with most pears but occasionally I get an oddball pear and it seems everything I try to graft it to doesn’t work. Turnbull Giant does not like 1/2 of my rootstocks it seems so this year I will try it on ohxf. It can take awhile before you know if a graft failed or succeeded. In my experience plant 1 year and graft the next your odds of success are greatly improved. Harrow sweet takes 2-3 years to fruit whereas some as @scottfsmith mentioned earlier can take 20 years to fruit. Most pears fruit in 4-10 years. If you take good care of them take a year off. Harrow sweet fruited for me the next year after planting it on a 2 year old callery rootstock.
If you only need a dozen, look in disturbed fields or roadsides near cities…
you’ll find lots of pear rootstocks for the taking. Callery.
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Agree. The price is only the value you put on your time.
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Thought about it, but without the flowers it takes longer to find them. Plus I think I might be a little lazy.
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I understand…a couple Sunday’s ago I observed about 5 acres of them and blackberries in a field near a grocery store in Madison County KY. At that date/stage they started to leaf, and ID-ing them no problem. (But I didn’t get the shovel and dig any).
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When my health is good and I’m up to it that’s the same as paying me $500+ for 2 hours. Think everyone must have more money than me to turn down $250 an hour. In Kansas that’s how things work if i’m feeling healthy i go do that stuff. This country has so many oppurtunities like that. A sharp shooter all steel shovel and a day of your time you could make a $1000 with a $60 investment in a good shovel. 4 hours a day of orchard work requires a rest and a tylenol but the strength comes over time. If your really strong triple that $1000! Where else can you do that? Would any member of this site not buy rootstock? There are times when we have not been able to find rootstock like when Oregon quarantined over the virus. An industrius person can have a pear orchard like mine or better for their labor in this country. The first year you sell rootstocks and even plant them for people the next year you buy the land with the profits and plant your own. Everyone wins when youth and strength is on our side. Many of us got started just that way with hard work looking back I don’t regret it. Will also mention it’s not easy and I still respect those who don’t want to succeed like that. A good mechanic or electrician or plumber or carpenter can make just as much. There is something about fresh air and choosing our own hours that’s appealing.
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I spotted a couple piles of them myself, but feel a little sketchy about digging on land that is not mine. Unfortunately I do not have any near my land and they always pop up in the open where everyone can see you.
Public street/roadsides are a good option…I don’t mind if someone sees me…I collect rocks that fall from cliffs quite often.
The only illegal thing I believe is digging in the cut of a road for mining coal…at least in KY that gets you in trouble…so I am told.
I see. Given callery, betulifolia, harbin, pyrifolia (asian pear) are all from east asia, it seems likely they’re all more genetically related (and therefore perhaps more compatible with each other) than with communis (euro pears).
When the graft fails, I’m thinking it could be because under times of existential stress, the rootstock and scion could not agree on the same survival strategy. E.g. One wants to go left while the other wants to go right.
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I’m reading about callery/bradford pears and most media from goverment / educational domain denounce these trees as invasive and even provide public technical strategies to terminate the trees.
It would seems you’d be doing the public domain a favor using the callery tree as rootstock. Assuming you would graft onto the callery and never allow the rootstock to flower, you’re effectively neutering it and stopping its propagation.
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