I’d be more concerned with Barseck
being used as a breeding base for modern pears.
2 Likes
Not a lot of size control for pears without the added step of compatibility grafts.
That said I would love to get Quince Elize and try it. Also starting Pyrus pyraster to get the truly large tree as a choice.
1 Like
ive read someone on here in Canada is growing pear on cotoneaster for cold hardiness. ive yet to find a source stateside for cotoneaster but would be interested on giving it a try. hell if mountain ash works, cotoneaster should work better. anyone use it?
3 Likes
It’s a very common garden plant, you can get it at many garden centers including the box stores
1 Like
As someone mentioned before, callery doesn’t survive in the north. I’ve been using ussurian and seedling domestic pear for rootstocks the last few years. I’ve got a number on OHxF 97 too, but that one is borderline winter hardy here when young.
1 Like
is ussurian commonly used on pears in the nurseries? i dont think ive seen them offered as rootstock before.
1 Like
I doubt it’s commonly used. St. Lawrence nursery uses it on some Russian and Asian varieties. I believe Bailey’s Nursery uses it for Ure, Early Gold, and Golden Spice.
If you want a pear rootstock hardy to -30 or lower dependably, its Ussurian
4 Likes
One thing I have noticed about callery is it appears to blossom several weeks earlier than my euro pears on OHxF 87 or 97 and the euro pear grafts I have on some big callery trees seem to coordinate flowering with the rest of the tree; so might make a winter pear / late season pear more doable in z5 where we are
Has anyone else noticed this?
That would be nice to have a month longer season for something like JdM or Napoleon or late ones
3 Likes
It works, at least for a month or two.
Burnt Ridge had P. Urs rootstock. I think they used it for Asian pears, and sold it separately. I think it has less susceptibility to FB than P. Bet., and greater Winter hardiness, but was more likely to be damaged/killed in a false Spring? I’m on my phone and can’t check at the moment.
3 Likes
if st. lawrence uses it, its really cold hardy. do you know someone who sells the rootstocks seperately?
1 Like
Williamette nursery and they usually are called harbin. I have used a few around here.
1 Like
thanks clark. i dont have much fireblight pressure here. i may try grafting some next spring.
2 Likes
Unfortunately as long as everyone keeps cloning trees, these diseases will keep killing our trees. It is a universally naive thing to do. People tend to make the same mistakes which lead to the same consequences. At my orchard i use dozens of diffeerent types of clonal rootstocks and hundreds of seedlings. Some i grew and some i bought.
Seedlings on the other hand have some genetic diversity even when they are similar
1 Like
I buy from Burnt Ridge or SLN.
Edit…I have noticed what I think is incompatibility with ussurian and at least two Euro pear varieties. Dana Hovey and Cabot Vermont. Its possible its just crappy grafting on my part, but I don’t think so.
2 Likes
the previous owner at my place planted holly-berry cotoneaster a few decades ago and so now I have several hundred cotoneaster trees that the birds planted
2 Likes
Those seedlings might really be just the thing. The great news is the price is right and there are lots of them.
2 Likes
Cotoneaster is a very disease ridden plant here. Rarely much larger then a shrub.
1 Like
@clarkinks Do you know if there is a difference in resistance to FB between the OHxF 333, OHxF 87, and OHxF 97?
I’m aware that a bad fireblight outbreak could take out even resistant trees, but when you’ve heard of orchards being taken out by fireblight, was it particularly one of the 3?
I have been keeping an eye on the roadsides here to spot healthy looking naturalized/volunteer callery-types that I can dig up. Several patches I’ve seen do look very hardy and are clearly well suited to the local area. However, I’m still thinking about purchasing some rootstock. Even though I think BET will do well in my soil, I’m concerned about my heavy fireblight pressure.
1 Like
Pretty much all my pears died. All either OHF87 Or 333 based. Think one Tsu li survived.
1 Like
I don’t have enough experience with the OHxF rootstocks to comment. I can say that callery as a rootstock has been very successful for me so far. Not all callery trees have good fireblight tolerance. The source of seedlings which I have been using seems to have decent tolerance which shows up in the seedlings.
1 Like