The pears you may not have heard of and should consider growing

General Fruit Growing
21

Thanks for the information Clark.I received quite a few scions of Pear,including Tyson. Brady

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22

You need to try Ayers. It fits your description perfectly.

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23

Added it to my list, thanks Ray. I have three ohxf 87 that I will graft next spring.

24

I can send wood, if you need some.

25

That is very kind Ray, ( I noted your name in my book, I suspect you would have only recommended it because you grow it and know first hand)

26

Hi Scaper, did your AbbƩ Fetel ever get fb? How long did it take to fruit?

Re the Garber, how did it taste? Iā€™ve been meaning to try that one, itā€™s the parent of several good pears. But youā€™re right I never hear it talked about, or a possible sport of Garber the Monterrey.

& how is LeConte?

Thanks,

Bob

27

Everyone says harrow sweet is awsome too. And itā€™s supposed to be really easy. I also second the vote for Ayers. Magness is great if quince root is an option I recommend that for magness.

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28

Abate Fetel never blighted for me but that may well have been luck. It fruited in its third year on quince. I think leconte is a good pear one of the better varieties for areas with fb and low chill. Itā€™s not as good as Moonglow and certainly not in the class of Ayers or Magness. Garber was very unique in that it had a flavor like a Euro pear but too me was at its best still crisp right off the tree. Didnā€™t taste at all like an Asian pear it had a more balanced flavor. It was a totaly different experience to me.

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29

I think a lot must depend on soil, weather, age and other factors. I have a mature Bartlett that produces some of the sweetest pears I have ever tasted, 17-18 brix. The tree was planted only about 8 ft away from the SW wall of the house in soil covered with a couple inches of lime sand/gravel and has never received any water or care (until we moved in, now it at least gets pruned). I was surprised to find such a common pear so truly sweet and enjoyable! I canā€™t wait to see how my other pears are once they start producing (Honeysweet, Luscious, Concorde, Harrow Sweet, HW 604, Ubileen, Clara Frijs).

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30

Yes , location can mean everything. I have a Bartlett but it has not fruited yet. The Bartlett I have eaten were from the store so maybe I will like the ones I grow.

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31

I have a couple Bartlett pear trees that have had plenty of pear however, they have been so gritty and take forever to ripen. This next year I intend to cut them back and graft on to them. I have a couple other pear trees that I really enjoy Comice and Seckel, I may try to get some scion off of them or hopefully find other sources.

This year has been my first year of grafting so Iā€™m really looking forward to grafting on to these Bartlett limbs wit some of the juicy sweet pears mentioned above.

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32

Beierschmidt has proven quite precosious here, now if only I can beat the porcupines to them this year! The tree is flowering heavily, unfortunately, no other pears blooming nearby except for a few fowers on my Summercrisp

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33

Last time it set fruit without any other pear tree blooming, but the fruit got eaten by porky in mid summer, so they didnā€™t get to mature. Self-fruitful?

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34

Jesse,
Those porcupine I understand are a real pest and one we donā€™t have here. Sorry to hear he got your pears! Beierschmidt could be self fruitful if Bartlett is a parent because Bartlett is self fruitful in warmer climates. Bartlett is partially self fruitful in cooler climates.

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35

I started measuring pear brix this last summer for the first time. Both Fondante des Moulins-Lille and Docteur Desportes (two mentioned by Clark above) were up to 20 brix. They are both excellent pears. My Superfin was only 11 brix. I donā€™t have Bartlett but have the Nye sport of Bartlett and it was also very sweet but I didnā€™t get a measurement on it.

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36

maybe not a bartlett? I have one that was bought as a bartlett, but I think it is a kieffer. I think this has mentioned by other people, too.

37

That is interesting you say that because it was an original tree I planted 20 years ago and it was originally marked but lost its tags. It is very possible it is a Kieffer to me they look pretty much alike in photos.

Whatever it isā€¦ I sure look forward to getting some juicy sweet pears to replace it.

Thanks
Bob

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38

I planted a Passe Crassane this year to help me extend my fruit bearing time (harvest in December, hold until Januaryā€¦at least). Fresh fruit in January? Yes, please. Hereā€™s the link:

http://www.arboreumco.com/store/products/passe-crassane

I also planted a Packhamā€™s Pride, which is a later bearing Bartlett, essentially. Itā€™s already taking off.

Iā€™ve got space for one or two more, but Iā€™ve got so much summer fruit, I need later bearing pears, like late September or later. Some of these sound amazing, but which ones bear later?

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39

My late-season classics are:

-Gorham (Oct)
-Seckel (Oct/Nov)
-Magness (Oct/Nov)

I am also pursuing:

-Docteur Desportes (late ripening? Oct?)
-Elliot (late ripening? Oct?)
-Harrow Sweet (late ripening? Oct?)
-Worden (ripe Sept but keeps in fridge thru Nov?)
-Winter Nelis (keeps in fridge thru Dec?)

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40

Duchess is a Very late pear for us. September or later and we tend to ripen everything early. Bartlett, clapps favorite, Kieffer etc ripen in July here so thatā€™s at least a month ahead of most ripening pears due to our hot sun.

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