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[nottke1 <nottke1@earthlink.net>]

I have a "dwarf Seckel Pear" that I bought with a gift card at a big box 
store 12 years ago, before I got into fruit tree growing and grafting (mostly 
pawpaws).  This pear tree has been a runt, growing a spindly trunk up to 
about 9 ft tall and putting out a dozen or so small tasty pears each year.
A few old timey pear trees that I grafted a couple years ago are much larger 
than this old "Seckel".

In 2007 a vigorous "water sprout" shot up on the old Seckel and I let it grow 
- this vertical sprout is about 4 inches from the trunk on the lowest 
scaffold branch, which is about 18 inches from the ground.  I topped the 
sprout last summer when it reached the height of the original trunk - the 
sprout then put out several short side shoots before hardening off.  This 
year the sprout and its side shoots are loaded with fruit - I removed a 
bucket of immature fruit a month ago to reduce the load.  The fruit appear to 
be the same as fruit on the original tree for this time in the season.  The 
sprout is now the same diameter as the original trunk that still feeds it, 
which I assume will become a problem eventually.
I recently read Allen Cosnow's article in Spring 09 Pomona, in which he 
speculates on delayed scion rooting of older trees.  That got me thinking 
about what was happening with my pear tree.
I presume in my case I have a vigorous "sport" of some sort rather than some 
mysterious scion rooting, but I would appreciate any comments, suggestions, 
or questions.


Jim Nottke
Zone 7
Pfafftown, North Carolina