Wild pear grafting.

[Mahindra3016]

I have been topworking wild pears for a few years here, we have an overload of them in a 10 acre patch I would guess there are 60 to 80 trees. They are not callery pears but possibly crosses.

The deer love them, but unfortunately most are gone by bow season, so I have been grafting some over to later dropping pears. I have read before about pears suckering wildly after a brutal pruning, while some do, others sucker very little, graft takes have been close to 100%

In the pictures below you will see 2 different "pre" graft techniques I have been using. The picture of the tree with the hollow section had 5 or 6 leaders, I cut it back to one, and plan on grafting to the newer growth partly up the right side of the tree. In this case the hollow stump is not connected to the leader that I left, at least not above ground

The second method I will be starting to use is to cut trees off a year in advance and then graft to a few of the suckers rather than bark grafting. I think that this will make a better tree in the long run, but time will tell. In this case I will probably choose the left leader and cut the right one off at the ground. I cut 3 trees off last year and all 3 put on similar growth.

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[Mahindra3016]

Unfortunately my photos are failing to upload, I will try again later!

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[Mahindra3016]

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[DLH]

That’s some large pear trees. We have several of these at our place but much smaller. I need to transplant a couple. A hunters choice from the wildlife group and the other an Ayers. I think these are an excellent free source of rootstock. Grafting these over helps prevent birds from spreading more of the little pears too. I see these along the road to work and behind my work.

 

[buckvelvet]

Thats awesome I love the repurpose efforts! I've never really looked into the 'late hanging ability' of pears because I love apples so much I only get pears for taste. However having such a great roostock to play with I totally get it. What varieties have you been moving them over too. Whats the oldest graft and has it produced fruit yet?

This is a pear tree I redid in my inlaws yard, the variety was really early, grew some awful pears. Its got new wood everywhere now, had to stack some of the new growth this past summer so I'll have to update this thread. https://growingfruit.org/t/update-my-first-bark-graft-pear/11398

 

[Mahindra3016]

Thanks, I should have some produce this year, I have a Franken tree with 4 year old grafts of kieffer, Korean giant and a local late hanging pear, also grafted a later hanging kieffer type pear from my father's yard in Iowa, and a tee topworked to Johantorp pear which has been about the latest pear I have found, supposedly drops into january.

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[Mahindra3016]

Johantorp topworked wild pear

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[Mahindra3016]

Right side up...

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[Mahindra3016]

3 year old bark graft on Franken tree, forgot to label this one.

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[Mahindra3016]

Topworked this one to the pear from my dads yard, kieffer type pear, 100% take cleft grafts, I will pick one and cut the rest, probably keep the center most one.

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[Mahindra3016]

Franken tree.

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