MN Pear tree options?
- Thread starter SWIFFY
- Start date
Wild Thing
5 year old buck +
I am east of Iron Mountain so we don't get any Lake Effect snow here - About 50 miles from Lake Michigan and 70 Miles from Lake Superior, but we do get colder weather - as much as 35 below zero actual during colder winters (probably very similar to Iron River). I lost all of my cherry trees during those brutal winters of 2012-2014.
b116757
5 year old buck +
Growing up -35 wasn’t that uncommon I have seen -40’s my mother got nervous that time and made us bring the horses in the walk out basement for a few days because we didn’t have an inclosed barn just an open shed. We would play outside during recess at -35 in grade school all seven of us in my grade.
Wild Thing
5 year old buck +
Thanks for posting Homer. This map does show that I am in Zone 4a and that there are, indeed, some 3b zones in Wisconsin.
Wind Gypsy
5 year old buck +
2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map | USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
That’s the one I’ve been using.
b116757
5 year old buck +
That one’s groovy.2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map | USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
planthardiness.ars.usda.gov
That’s the one I’ve been using.
Mortenson
5 year old buck +
Yeah pretty cool map. I find it interesting to pan around. Learn new things, like 5a dips all the way into northern MO... I always thought that was a hot state, lol. And Colorado Springs and Boulder are zone 6, who knew.
Swify - I am in zone 4A and have all 3 of those varieties of pears planted. They will just be starting their third growing season, and they look like they all survived a pretty harsh second winter. I also have a couple other varieties that I planted, one of which produced a couple of pears last year, in the second growing season, (Ure) and another that had a bunch on it until a late frost wiped them out (Early Gold). While I‘m still pretty new at this, I am pleased with what i have seen.
I have lost 3 trees, one of which was a Kieffer, which I expect is pushing it for my zone, and also a pair of Morse nursery hybrid pear trees, but I suspect that was self inflicted as I overwatered. I still have one of those remaining and it looks healthy, albeit small.
Here is a pic of one of the pears from the Ure tree, taken July 10th of last year………
I have lost 3 trees, one of which was a Kieffer, which I expect is pushing it for my zone, and also a pair of Morse nursery hybrid pear trees, but I suspect that was self inflicted as I overwatered. I still have one of those remaining and it looks healthy, albeit small.
Here is a pic of one of the pears from the Ure tree, taken July 10th of last year………
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I got scion of luscious this year from fedco and got 2 grafts off it. Both are leafing out now. Do you know about when they start dropping? I haven't found a ton of info about them out there.
bwoods11
5 year old buck +
I actually don’t .. he had a full tree though !
b116757
5 year old buck +
BuckSnort
5 year old buck +
My buddy in Zone 3a has a Luscious and Parker Pear and both are large trees and seem to do well in the cold. I have struggled grafting pears but I do have a few that made it.
I am in Central MN. 70 miles NW of St Cloud. I've grown pears for years. Have Ure, Kiefer, Douglas, Luscious, and Nova. The ussurian rootstock is the best/hardiest. I find pears easy to graft compared to apple. I have a big old Ure with ussurian rootstock that keeps pushing shoots up from the roots, I dig them out, taking a piece of the root with the shoot, makes great rootstock.
When do the luscious drop?
About the middle to end of August. Luscious is a very sweet and reasonably medium/large pear, my old Luscious tree blew over in a windstorm a few years ago. I have new ones coming up but not producing yet. If all goes as planned this year I should have lots of Ure and at least some Nova. I'm axious for the Nova, supposed to be really good but I haven't had one yet.
