Just a reminder to those who dont know this rootstock the thorns are wicked! They are a fantastic rootstock.
1 Like
Any idea what is the natural proliferation rate of BET vs Callery?
1 Like
Callery outgrows BET at first and ohxf outgrows both for the first year. In my area everything out grows harbin. Ohxf97 grows 30% faster than ohxf333 by the 2nd year. Ohxf87 is similar growth to ohxf97 but slightly behind it by maybe 10%. Callery overtakes ohxf by the 3rd year and outgrows it sometimes by double by the fifth year. BET will be at least 30 -50% ahead of BET by the 5th year. In good soil a BET hits 18 feet by the 5th - 7th year and Callery will be at 12 - 15 feet depending on variety. There are hybrids of both! Many bartlett seedling rootstocks are fantastic well behaved rootstocks but the rabbits , deer , and fireblight for starters are all problems with them. Ohxf333 does not have much steam which makes it a fantastic dwarf in heavy clay. It still grows big if you let it but very slowly after 5 years. That delayed growth is concerning long term. It will likely run out of steam very early on and BET will be around in 100 years with plenty of vigor.
3 Likes
I meant more of the self-planting rate, but your post was very interesting nonetheless.
I have definitely seen Callery trees compete with grass and grow so well without any babying. I see Callery all over the place, especially in ditches. I also have OHxF that nearly died (maybe deer pressure) but it is rebounding. BET definitely out grows OHxF (even when OHxF had another year in ground). After 3 OHxF died, I only planted BET, and am experimenting with grafting on seeding Calleries.
1 Like
BET does not self seed here i dont let it. Im afraid of a field full of those thorny trees. Had one bloom this year!
I’m wondering BET would be competitive to Callery. Both have tiny fruit that I assume same bird species could disperse. Perhaps we only hear of invasiveness of Calleries because of it’s ubiquity in ornamental landscaping. Perhaps BET could be invasive as well.
1 Like
Time will tell.
1 Like
Does anyone have pears on Pyrus Betulifolia planted in sandier soil? I planted several from bluehill nursery this past March. They’re growing VERY slow and have put on 2-3" of growth at most and some even less. Was going to plant some more next year but probably should wait and see how they do for a couple years.
1 Like
BET start out slow and then take off. They are putting in tons of root this year i think. I grow in clay or loam and none are in pure sand. They do well long term unless fireblight is a problem in your area. If fireblight is a problem graft them over asap.
2 Likes
All the rootstock is already grafted over to different varieties from bluehill. No fireblight in my area though. But I guess I will be patient and hope that they will take off next year!
1 Like
You can give them some fertilizer to help them along. Woodchips around the base a couple of inches deep help also. Mostly, the tree needs time to establish its roots. There is an old saying you will find to be true
The first year, they sleep
The second year, they creep
The third year, they leap
Remember that saying when it comes to fruit trees.
1 Like
Do you think its to late to fertlize pear in mid Michigan? But yeah I need to be a little more patient with them. I have had really good growth out of my standard rootstock apples trees. Thought the pears would do just the same but I will give them time.
1 Like
I would give them some heavy fertilizer for the next couple of weeks then let them harden off good. That will allow them to store excess energy for next year.
2 Likes
The trees I’ve planted on Bet had these massive molar tooth like roots on them, so I imagine it would take a while to grow those.
I planted a rootstock this Spring with a few spindly, wire-y side branches on it and a single long string root strand that I figured was toast. It ended up doing fairly well so far put on a few inches and the branches look like small normal branches. Might try to graft some green Pai Li wood to it that ended up grafted on another tree (and took off there) in a week or two once it cools down a bit.
1 Like