North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[lee reich <lreich@hvc.rr.com>]

They are very difficult to root, which is why pears are propagated mostly by grafting. One possible way, though, is the etiolated shoot method that I describe, as follows, in my book Growing Fruit in Your Backyard (Timber Press, 2004):

The etiolated shoot method is a variation on softwood cuttings. This method has been successful in rooting stems of many plants otherwise difficult, previously impossible, to root (such as stems or shoots from mature apple trees.) In late winter, put an opaque tube---of roofing paper or aluminum foil, for example---around and extending a few inches beyond the terminal bud of a plant stem. This tube will exclude light from the shoot that grows from the terminal bud until that shoot appears at the end of the tube, at which time the shoot’s exposed leaves and stem will develop normally. A variation on this method is to completely shade a plant or stem before growth begins. When new, etiolated shoots are a few inches long, wrap each of their bases in some opaque material and gradually admit light to the plant or shoot. With either method, in late summer cut off the leafy shoots with their etiolated (bleached) basal portions and root them as you would any other softwood cutting. The etiolated shoot method is so successful because etiolated stems root so readily and because these etiolated stems, fed by their deep green parts developing later in light, are not starved for energy reserves.

Lee Reich, PhD

www.leereich.com

Books by Lee Reich:

Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden

A Northeast Gardener's Year

The Pruning Book

Weedless Gardening

On Oct 7, 2005, at 8:51 AM, William Freels wrote:

Hope that someone can give information as to how to root pear cuttings.

Thanks,  Bill Freels, Paducah, Ky  

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