We get some weird weather at times in winter. This year we got temps in the 70’s in February and then it when down back into the normal temps. We get high temps in the summer, high 90’s to at times low 100’s. It is usually blistering hot and humid in August. The type of weather where it just feels like you are breathing the air coming out of a water vaporizer. Then we can usually get the weather you see in my photo this time of the year. “Boom, it is Winter and here is your snow to prove it”- signed Mother Nature.
My Duchess is in full sun until late afternoon into evening.
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That will be the perfect location and weather for it. If it’s not hot in the summer it would never get ripe. The douglas blooms first and like its parent Duchess D’ Angoulme is one of the last to ripen. My zone can barely ripen these pears.
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Sounds like I may have picked a good pear choice. I liked this variety even more by looking at your posts.
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It is still fairly pleasant outside here so far. Noone agrees they are not used to the cold yet. This is like heavan for winter time. It dropped down to 18 F briefly.
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Just what I was thinking, Im ashamed to say!
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Are they hard and crunchy?
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Im getting 5 tree from Mike this week!
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That is a lot of pears! They produce very heavy. Since these trees are given to heavy production the only things that slows them down is branch breaking. Mike’s trees originally came from these so you know what your getting when you see the photos. The original tree my scions came from produced very large pears just like these Largest / Best tasting pear.
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I plan on selling these along with it’s history… I already have several wealthy people who want to host fruit parties and are all excited about pears now. Don’t know if the parties are worth my time unless I sling some tupperware and lingerie alongside…jk
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Had another 30 pounds more finished picking today inside the orchard off all the remaining trees. Leave all the windfalls for the animals. Had to get the fruit picker for some of them. All the higher up pears drop quickly but the ones within about 12 -15 feet of the ground can hang very late like these did. Pears are very interesting because i believe other factors sometimes come into play not easily recognized. These Duchess D’ Angoulme are grafted to callery pears. When they were first grafted the scion wood showed no signs of life sometimes for months then grew away quickly. The trees do not seem to get diseases that other pears do. Today November 13th i’m harvesting a few of these later pears which is unusual as well. Maybe like people havig different metabolic rates pear trees have a similar process. It is interesting to speculate why these trees are so different. Some of these pears were a little rough but they look pretty good overall.
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I must say, last week we had 3 days that were at 70 or slightly below, with no frosts here along lake michigan until a little snow last night at 32degs. Last years frost was oct 29. Should have sufficient degree days despite spring delay
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That sounds like your weather has been very pleasant. When any pear including Duchess D’ Angoulme is grown right the seeds should be black like this. It is always a shame i dont grow all these seeds out im sure there are some potentially wonderful pear genetics in those seeds.
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I was thinking of putting one next to my isolated Ya Li and mishirazu with the same end in mind! Random genetic recombination is bound to yield surprises. Blessings from the heavens!
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I have to try graft this one again. I had grafted it to a seedling pear, but that graft failed after leafing out. I had grafted several branches of it on my ‘pasture pear’ seedling, but the cattle completely destroyed the cattle panel fence I had around it and then ate the tree down to the ground, destroying all of the grafts I had growing on it. Maybe I’ll have success grafting it this spring. I have wanted one of those for many years! Wonderful description Clark!!
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When mine get hard and crunchy they loose their sweetness
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Wont be long now!
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