North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Kevin Bradley <kbradley@ttlc.net>]

I have been growing Asian pears here in zone 4b Wisconsin for about 8 years 
now but the expert on this is Brian Pearson who has been growing them much 
longer in zone 4 near lake MI. We consistently fruit Shinseiki and Hosui 
which ripen well also. Chojuro is marginal for ripening here.
I also have been told that Japanese Golden Russet and Yakumo do better than 
most in short seasons. I'm also trying Shinsui. My Ya Li is doing fine 
topgrafted to ussuriensis but I believe I have heard that it is very late 
to ripen, or that it blossoms really early. It hasn't blossomed yet.  I've 
got two unnamed varieties that I am testing also.
I have also grown one of these unnamed varieties for five years in zone 3a, 
Norhern WI, which reminds me that I need to transplant a pollenizing tree 
for it up there to see if it will actually produce any fruit. It is 
topgrafted (to P ussuriensis) which should increase its hardiness as it 
does to apples but as far as fruit bud hardiness I don't know yet. It 
hasn't had a test winter since I planted it, hasn't been too cold up there 
in the last five years. (Doing fine though so far).
We have a fine crop of Asians this year, they are so much easier to tend 
than apples we have planted a whole row of them.
Good luck, hope I have given you some ideas.
Kevin B