MN Pear tree options?

[SWIFFY]

I was at my local nursery the other day looking at pear trees... and cherry trees. They had Parker Pear, Patten Pear, and Summercrisp Pear trees. Does anyone have an opinion on the ups or downs of one vs. the other?

Thanks

 

[b116757]

I planted three pears in zone 3 25 years ago all but one died and it never gets cross pollination so produces nothing. There are a lot more zone 3 pear cultivars available now I need to order a couple more to plant near that one.

 

[cavey]

Pears are a bit tricky sometimes, just double check the growing zones of the pears they are selling, we are a zone 4 and I constantly see zone 5 or 6 pears for sale up here.

 

[b116757]

Pears are a bit tricky sometimes, just double check the growing zones of the pears they are selling, we are a zone 4 and I constantly see zone 5 or 6 pears for sale up here.

That’s pretty solid advice I would also add that often times local vendors get what sells not what will actually grow in your area. Honeycrisp comes to mind I see it for sale here locally all the time and unless your a CAR spraying ninja good luck keeping it alive.

 

[sandbur]

I know several Mn nursery owners that struggle with selling pears in zone of Mn.
One has drawn the line north of St Cloud and one at Brainerd.

Perhaps Ely Pear or some of the Russian varieties will work. I have a franken pear tree and now get a few pears.

My advice for northern Minnesota is to plant hardy crab apples.


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[chummer]

My first plantings were all pears picked for my location by Cummins. The only one left is summercrisp. The rest all died back every winter until they finally died for good. I do get blossoms on the summercrisp but there is nothing to pollinate it and the blossoms come out very early so it would be a rare year to get pears eVen if it had a pollinators.

 

[wooduck]

U of M released ( juicy jewel )several years ago ,, its an asian cross pear very resistant to dieses hardy up to zone 3 , should be good thru zone 4 has done well for us here will be planting bunches next spring ,, for more info search U of M hardy fruit this will give nurseries to source and info on the tree

 

[SWIFFY]

I know several Mn nursery owners that struggle with selling pears in zone of Mn.
One has drawn the line north of St Cloud and one at Brainerd.

Perhaps Ely Pear or some of the Russian varieties will work. I have a franken pear tree and now get a few pears.

My advice for northern Minnesota is to plant hardy crab apples.


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Good to know. I am still technically south of St.cloud fwiw

 

[sandbur]

Good to know. I am still technically south of St.cloud fwiw

They seem to do better the further south you go.


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[Angus 1895]

This is a native wild pear. Good 4 zone 3.

Gonna plant it nort of dulut

lil gopher lingo dare!

 

[silver_yummies]

My first plantings were all pears picked for my location by Cummins. The only one left is summercrisp. The rest all died back every winter until they finally died for good. I do get blossoms on the summercrisp but there is nothing to pollinate it and the blossoms come out very early so it would be a rare year to get pears eVen if it had a pollinators.

I also planted 10 pear trees from Cummins 6 years ago hardy for 4B and all but 2 are dead. Only apple trees for me now. I tried.

 

[SWIFFY]

I also planted 10 pear trees from Cummins 6 years ago hardy for 4B and all but 2 are dead. Only apple trees for me now. I tried.

Wow! That is unfortunate. You dont know until you try I guess.

 

[cavey]

I once bought 50 bartlett pear rootstocks and grafted a bunch of different scion to them only to learn the hard way about how some places say they are zone 4 and others zone 5.... I can tell you they are not so much zone 4....

A lot of wasted time on that deal....

 

[Wild Thing]

That’s pretty solid advice I would also add that often times local vendors get what sells not what will actually grow in your area. Honeycrisp comes to mind I see it for sale here locally all the time and unless your a CAR spraying ninja good luck keeping it alive.

What Zone are you in b11657? I haven't planted any pear trees but I have had very good success with Honey Crisp here in Upper Michigan - Zone 4.

I planted these in 2008. Lost 1 to voles before I started wrapping them with Hardware Cloth but the rest are still going strong...





I planted 10 more in 2016. Lost 1 or 2 to bears but the rest are doing great also...

 

[b116757]

I currently live in zone 6 southeast Kansas for the last 20 years but I own property in zone 3 northern Wisconsin where I grew up.

 

[b116757]

Honeycrisp does very well on my property in northern Wisconsin it dies in Kansas

 

[Wild Thing]

I currently live in zone 6 southeast Kansas for the last 20 years but I own property in zone 3 northern Wisconsin where I grew up.

I guess I didn't realize that any part of Wisconsin is in Zone 3. I am north of Wisconsin in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and everything I've seen for me is either Zone 4a or 4b.

 

[Wild Thing]

Honeycrisp does very well on my property in northern Wisconsin it dies in Kansas

OK - Must be too warm down in Kansas.

 

[b116757]

OK - Must be too warm down in Kansas.

CAR kills them

 

[Wild Thing]

CAR kills them

OK - Fortunately I have never had to deal with CAR.