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Pear Pollen Question

17 years ago

Is there a chart anywhere that lists some superior pollenator pear trees? I've spent an hour on the web, and have not seen a single feature that speaks about it.

A lot on apples but nada on Pears, and they have more problems with getting the bees to visit.

Comments (11)

  • 17 years ago

    Here's info from MSU -- not a chart but the basic info
    http://extension.missouri.edu/xplor/agguides/hort/g06001.htm#Pear

    "Pear pollination
    Most pear varieties are self-unfruitful. However, nearly all pears are suitable pollinizers for other varieties that bloom at the same time. One exception is Seckel, which is not a good pollinizer for Bartlett. Even though Anjou, Bartlett and Kieffer are partially self-fruitful, they should be cross-pollinated to produce heavy and regular crops. Pear flowers produce only a small amount of nectar, which is low in sugar. For this reason, more pollinizers and bees are needed for pears than for any other tree fruit."

    And a chart for European pears at
    http://www.raintreenursery.com/pollination_pears_euro.htm

    You'll find additional resources if you go to google.com
    and use the search phrase "pear pollination" -- but without the quotes.

    Here is a link that might be useful: the basics from MSU

  • 17 years ago

    "Moonglow" has the widespread reputation of being a very good pollinator. Take a reputation for what it is worth. It also has the reputation of being highly resistant to fire blight but gets it anyway. It does, however, survive it and pretty much thrives and fruits well anyway.

  • 17 years ago

    Going in the other direction, there are some, like Magness and Warren, that are pollen-sterile, and also produce little or no nectar, hence there's little reason for bees to visit the flowers, and as a result they're often poor bearers unless surrounded by more 'attractive' varieties. Some folks are even suggesting that Magness or Warren as free-standing single-variety trees is a disaster of sorts, and that one would achieve much better production by grafting multiple branches of an appropriate pollenizer(s) into Magness/Warren trees - or vice-versa.

  • 17 years ago

    Well if anyone on the list has a Moonglow Pear, I would like to get a scion for grafting into my neuter pear tree.
    I have already about 4 types, but seems that I'm not getting good cross pollenation.
    Contact me off list

  • 17 years ago

    I hope that this is not off topic. However, I purchased one SHINSEIKI ASIAN PEAR (Pyrus pyrifolia) semi-dwarf from Burnt Ridge to grow in my Massachusetts yard and it is described as self-fruitful.

  • 17 years ago

    Pears are strange. Bartletts for instance are considered effectively self-fertile in some parts of the country but not others.

  • 17 years ago

    cheryl2, I have 2 early ripening Shinseiki trees. They are addictive, better than apples imo. The problem is I have to pluck off hundreds of small ones to get them large and sweet. Shinseiki was advertized as self fruitful, but too much. Their pretty white blooms are bee magnets that last a month. Shiseiki bloom time overlaps the later blooming European pears planted together.

  • 17 years ago

    I have been informed by southern growers that where it is warm, most pears are fruitful but seedles without cross-pollination. The no longer existing commercial bartlett orchards of S. CA often relied on no cross-polination. It's about having warm spring weather when the fruit forms. Seckel, even though it is an early bloomer, usually is self-fruitful but the literature still urges caution if you want reliable production. My experience contradicts the literature with this one.

  • 17 years ago

    Well, the warmth issue explains things, because I've never had a problem getting my multi-grafted pears to set, even though they bloom differently. However, my neighbor DOES have two huge Bradford pears (shudder) that seem to bloom forever, and though I loathe them for my allergies, I have read they can and do pollinate fruiting pears, so maybe that's my secret weapon.

    Carla in Sac

  • 17 years ago

    I want to plant a Seckel pear for the sweetness. My old one died. I would also like to plant an Anjou pear.

    Will I have any problems and will these two pollinate each other?
    What do I use to prevent fire blight, if it becomes a problem.
    I think my neighbors have fruit trees also, so that would be more pollination, I would think

  • 15 years ago

    Will a keiffer pear pollinate a moonglow pear