Volunteer Pears

[organichris]

Yeah, so this fall I took the liberty of gathering a bunch of fallen pears from an abandoned mini-orchard owned by an acquaintance of mine. I ate a few. They were nothing special, and most of them were turned over into my garden soil.

As I expected there are quite a few volunteers that have popped up. I have one growing in a little cup and plan on planting it when it is a little bigger.

I know they don't always produce true to the parent, and in this case, I would hope they don't. Anyone ever grow pears trees from seed, or would anyone care to comment?

[Tormato]

I have about 20 seedlings, 1-3 years old, from several different known varieties, and some "unknown" local ones.

It's a crap shoot as far as fruit goes, but the cost is $0. They are vigorous growers, some to 6+ feet in two years. I'm still a ways from any fruit.
And, I'm always with an eye out for wild seedling trees and seed.

Tormato

[Tom C zone 4/5]

Feral (as in wild) pear is occasionaly ok, but is often too granular to be premium table fruit.

OIKOS Tree Crops has wild ones which are pretty upright and probably more suited to lumber than fruit.

OTC wild pear is small fruited and prefferable for me as bonsai specimens.

[organichris]

Originally Posted by Tom C zone 4/5

Feral (as in wild) pear is occasionaly ok, but is often too granular to be premium table fruit.

OIKOS Tree Crops has wild ones which are pretty upright and probably more suited to lumber than fruit.

OTC wild pear is small fruited and prefferable for me as bonsai specimens.

Bonsai...I hadn't thought of that. Well, I think it did cross my mind but I quickly dismissed it since I have never heard of bonsai pear trees. I have a bonsai maple I dug up last spring. It got sorta confused and went into Spring mode late last Autumn. So far no signs of new Spring growth.