Would you Choose Pear Trees or Chestnut Trees?

[RGrizzzz]

I appreciate all the replies. With this drought, I will use your guys' information and make a plan over the winter and spend the money this spring getting it started. Then I will have to hope we don't have another drought!

If you're going with chestnuts, this is the time of year to order seed nuts. Don't wait until spring. You can likely buy bareroot seedlings in the spring.

 

[H20fwler]

Fireblight is the bane of fruit tree existence in east texas

What is the "bad ass 'ist'" pear tree in this regard?

ie the most resistant pear?

bill

Did kind of a deep dive into this today to see what are considered the best.
I found a good list of pears that are very FB resistant.

Warren
Splalding
Acres Home
Southern King
Tennosui
Meadows

A lot of those are deep south varieties so not sure of cold hardiness if very far north.

I myself am very interested in Warren, more interested in its fruiting ability than DR. FB isn’t that bad in my area but good resistance is a plus I have been looking into Warren for a couple years and would like to plant a couple.

 

[b116757]

I have native pecan trees on my home place deer do eat them no doubt. I don’t plant native pecan trees however I have planted a few grafted paper shell pecans for the deer and my family once they begin producing.

 

[Catscratch]

Planted plenty of chestnuts but survival has been low, and growth rates extremely slow. Doubting ill ever see a nut. Pears have done well for me. Production is hit and miss, likely due to late freezes while in bloom.

 

[Ikeman]

Having killed some good bucks on public land over a feral pear tree… I 100% would choose pear.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[willy]

From my experience in southeast NE(heavy clay on my farm), I would recommend pears only. My chestnuts have been in the ground for 7 years and are only 10' tall at the most. (I did start them from seed) I planted several pear varieties(all whip size) since then and they are already producing, (3-4 years in ground which would probably equate to how old the chestnuts are). My pear trees that are 10 to 14 years old have been producing great crops (almost yearly for every tree). The deer hammer them and my family loves them as well. There is plenty to go around. I don't baby my pears but I do prune every 2 ir 3 years.

I planted them, made sure they had adequate water the first year and then they have been on their own. I did the same with my chestnuts. I'm sure they will someday produce but I'm 56 and don't know if I'll see it. If I'm blessed to a long life then Im sure I will but one never knows. The pears will still be viable if I am blessed with that long life and for the next tenants.

Kieffer and the offshoots of it are great deer pears and good for canning/baking. Asian pears are incredible eating pears, salad pears, canning, dehydrated, and baking. I have pears that drop from August into December.

 

[Teeder]

I have some dunstan chestnuts that produce and there were a couple big chinese at the house i grew up in. I personally don't think they produced enough. My vote is for pears. The deer love my wild tree. Loaded every year. It's just starting to drop and will keep going through the fall.

 

[Victor Van Meter]

Thanks for all the replies.

 

[Native Hunter]

That's like asking me to choose between steak and lobster - I will take both!!!!