Planting some rare pears, please help with ripening order

General Fruit Growing
#1

Hello,
I grafted 6 pears last spring and they are still in pots.
I am planning to plant 3 of them and give the rest to friends.
I have
Belle Lucrative
Compte de lame
Beurre Hardy
Beurre Six
Marie Louis
Epargne

I would like to plant the best 3 out of these keeping ripening order in mind.
I would like to have one early, one mid season and one later season
Thanks for any advice

1 Like
#2

Hi,

I’ll take a crack at this but don’t currently have any of those varieties in the ground. I plan on planting a Beurre Hardy this spring.

I think the best place to start is ARS GRIN
https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/20721500/catalogs/pyreurop.html

If you look under the pear name, there is an observation page where in Oregon (your geography will be different) they are “Full Ripe” along with a Julian calendar date (and sometimes they have several dates). So by this metric, the ripening dates are as follows:

  1. Epargne (English Jargonelle)
    JULIAN DATE OF FULL RIPE FRUIT 200 so July 19th
    JULIAN DATE OF FULL RIPE FRUIT 210 so July 29th

  2. Compte de Lamy
    JULIAN DATE OF FULL RIPE FRUIT 255 so Sept 12th
    JULIAN DATE OF FULL RIPE FRUIT 265 so Sept 22nd

  3. Beurre Hardy
    JULIAN DATE OF FULL RIPE FRUIT 255 so Sept 12th

both Compte de Lamy and Beurre Hardy ripen at the same time ~ Sept 12th

  1. Belle Lucrative
    JULIAN DATE OF FULL RIPE FRUIT 297 so Oct 24th

  2. Marie Louise
    JULIAN DATE OF FULL RIPE FRUIT 297 so Oct 24th

both Belle Lucrative and Marie Louise ripen around the same time ~Oct 24th

  1. Beurre Six
    there is no Full Ripe date under the Corvallis ARS GRIN site but Pears of New York says “Oct - Dec”
    Beurre Six was raised from seed about 1845 by a gardener named Six at Courtrai in Belgium. Fruit large, pyriform, smooth, pea-green changing to yellow; flesh greenish-white, fine, melting, firm, buttery, very juicy; first; Oct. to Dec. – U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York, 1921

Early
Epargne

Mid
Compte de Lamy
Beurre Hardy

Late
Belle Lucrative
Marie Louise
Beurre Six

Hope this helps - what did you do with your pears?

Best of luck

1 Like
#3

@ribs1

I would love to get Marie louise and Compte de lamy scion wood if you still have them

Thanks

#4

Hello,
I have Compte de Lamy. Marie Louise did not survive.
I am happy to give you scion wood next winter.
I am very disorganized so you will have to remind me when you are ready to receive them. I am happy to send at no charge.

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#5

awesome - many thanks