Starting pear tree with a seed

[peapod]

Hey all of you wonderful orchard lovers I have a question.
I was given some of the best pears I have ever eaten. Being a huge pear fan thats saying something.

I of course asked what kind of pears they were the folks that gave them to me did not know. They look like a pear is the best I can do for a discription.

Here is what I want to know. I'd like to save some of the seeds and start a few knowing it will take about a million years before I even see a pear. They are worth the wait I tell ya.

How and what is the best way to get the process started?

Thanks all I really appreciate any help. Oh the pear tree is not a dwarf or semi dwarf its a full sizer and worth every single pear that I could ever hope for.

peapod

[orflo]

Michelle,
if you would like to make the effort to sow the seed, bear in mind that the pits you'll be sowing won't produce the same variety. You better ask the people who gave it to you for a piece of scion wood, and graft it onto a sown and small pear tree.
If you would have a picture of the pear, that could help, pears are easier to determinate than apples, my knowledge however is restricted to the most commonly grown pears over here in Europe (I do have a determination guide for about 200 varieties, again European).
I never tried sowing the pits, but if I remember correctly, they need stratification... sorry, I'm not much of a help here...

[Alan]

Howdy Michelle,


indeed, as is said many places, the pear won't come true to type, and might even produce something with insipid flavor but may also produce something of great value! If you want the exact same pear you will have to graft, you can find tutorials on it on the net, but that doesn't mean you can use those seeds to grow an experimental tree in searching for new pear types or even to grow the tree to use as rootstock for your future grafting needs.

The seeds will need to be germinated.

Save as many seeds as you can out of your pears. Prepare some good quality seed saving mix and use one of the following methods:

plant the seeds in pots and place them in a cold frame to experience winter and stratify.

Plant the seeds in the ground, mark the well, and let them experience winter.

Or wrap them in moist seed starting mix or a paper towl and place them in a freezer bag in the refridgerator for about 90 days, ocassionally checking for germination, at which point you plant them into pots or in a nursery to grow.

[peapod]

Thanks for the help. I spoke with the people that gave me the pears and they sent with me a "graft". Now being a novice at such things. Actually no experince at all with fruit tree grafting. I called the local apple orchard and asked for thier help. I have an appointment with the owner to get me going. THe good thing is we ( my husband and I) planted 40 pear trees this spring and we will be able to work with one or more of those.

Alan, I will start a few from seeds( or pits) like suggested I have over 100 that I have. I'll be cold framing them after a spell in the fridge maybe even freezer for a while.

Thanks for you help both of you.

We'll see what happens in about a decade.
;D

[plantsnobin]

Michelle, if you have a cold frame that you can go ahead and plant them in now, there is no need to bother with the fridge or freezer. You can just plant them in the cold frame and they will get the stratification they need.

[grunt]

Another tip to speed things along, since you already have something to graft onto: start the pits you have, and as soon as there is something large enough to use as a scion, graft it to established root stock, and you may get fruit the following year. It may only save you a couple of years, but every little bit counts. And you would still have the original growing, if it turns out to be good enough on its own.