North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Brungardt, Sam" <Sam.Brungardt@state.mn.us>]

Title: Message

Deb, you might seriously consider planting Harvest Queen, which has demonstrated outstanding fireblight resistance at my mother's down in Kansas (also USDA Hardiness Zone 5b).  It is a hardy, blight-resistant pear with the flavor and perfume of Bartlett from Canada.  For some reason, fewer nurseries offer this cultivar than Harrow Delight, an earlier, blight-resistant pear (also from Harrow, Ontario).   We really like Harvest Queen. -- Sam Brungardt, St. Paul, Minn.

 

-----Original Message-----
From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Deb Schneider
Sent: Wednesday, January 31, 2007 11:18 AM
To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [NAFEX] Pear variety comments

My husband and I love pears and have gradually been planting our small orchard.  So far we have a Comice, Ure, Warren and Atlantic.  The Comice has grown very well and I expect it to flower this year.  The other three don't seem to be doing much.  Two are within fifteen feet of the Comice on the same type of soil, so I am not sure what is slowing them down.  Has anyone seen trees that don't seem to grow well the first few years take off at a later date?  Do you think transplanting these trees to a different location might be worth trying?

 

We want to add several other pears this year: Nova, Manning-Miller, Southworth, Summercrisp and Stacey.  Any comments pro or con on these varieties?  Three are self-fertile, which is something I prefer having spotty luck with getting things going (at least there is HOPE that some fruit will come at some point!)  Fireblight is an issue here.  We are in zone 5b/6 in SE Ohio.

 

Thanks for any help.

 

deb