top five pears

14 years ago

I've seen many top 5 or top 10 lists on this board but I dont think I've seen this one before and since its pear eating season I though I would get this going. Heres my list:

5) 20th Century - very good yellow Asian

4) Moonglow - so far my most productive variety of the really good ones. Sometime needs to be skined as skin can be bitter and have had an occasional issue with some of these in storage but all in all a really good pear.

3) Hosui - the best Asian for me. Really sweet.

2) Bartlett - I am suprised that these have worked well for me. Even this year with a monster hail storm that caused a lot of fb damage Bartlett made it through and set a nice crop of deliciuos pears. We'll see how long this lasts.

1) Abate Fetel - This was my first year to fruit this one and it was great. Long necked Italian dessert pear.

P.S. Ayers and Seckle would be high on my list but they dont fruit enough because of lack of chill here so are not included. I fruited some Magness this year which I expect would be high on my list but hail destroyed there crop so maybe next year.

Any one else want to add a pear list? Lets see 'em.

Scape

Comments (6)

alan haigh
14 years ago
For a variety not grown too much, I will mention Harrow Sweet. My experience with it is extremely limited and I probably shouldn't endorse it yet, but the few fruit I ate last year really sold me- and it's blight resistant.

I don't like Asian's much but Korean Giant AKA Olympic, is the clear standout here over the 10 varieties I've tried. The challenge further north is getting the full sugar up with Asians, and to some extent, also with Euros.
Scott F Smith
14 years ago
I haven't had many fruit. My favorite Euro thus far is an uncommon pear I got from the USDA Corvallis collection, Fondante des Moulins-Lille. It fruited very early for me even on seedling rootstock and I have heard it is known for this. It also tastes very good, somewhere between the Bartlett and Anjou in flavor. Given the propensity of Euro pears to take so long to fruit I think this one should be more widely grown in backyards. Including pears from other local orchards I would add Magness, they are an extraordinary-tasting pear; I don't know how well they will do for me however since they supposedly don't pollinate easily; my tree has yet to blossom. This year I had half a dozen varieties fruit but some animal stole most of them.

My favorite asians are Kosui, Hosui, and Yoinashi. All three are great and a little different.

Scott
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rain2fall
14 years ago
Scott,

How do you go about getting a fruit from the Corvallis section? I'm 20 miles away and would like a good backyard pear. More so if it has a french name. ;-) Fondante des Moulins-Lille

Rain2Fall
Scott F Smith
14 years ago
The standard way is to place an order from the website and they mail scionwood in the spring. You need to have rootstocks and know how to graft to do it - they do not sell trees. Since you are close by they may let you pick up some wood directly, just send an email to find out.

Scott

Here is a link that might be useful: Corvallis office homepage
scaper_austin
Original Author
14 years ago
I have heard good things about Harrow Sweet but I havn't planted it because I havent been able to find out out about its chill requirements. Same story for Shenandoah, Blakes Pride, Sunrise, and Potomac. I would plant some to try them but I can never seem to get find them on an acceptable rootstock for my area. I may have to graft some myself for trial. Scott I have not heard of that Euro but I may have to try it. There is another Euro I think called Belle Angevine that I have heard is low chill and very good. I also wanted to tell you that Magness is fully compatible with Quince as far I can tell and on Quince ba-29-c it makes a perfect tree. Mine set fruit this year after only three years in the ground. To bad the hail destroyed them but there is always next year. I beleive it flowered a little last year also which I suppressed. If you have room I highly reccomend adding the Magness/quince to your orchard.

Scape
rain2fall
14 years ago
Scott -- I am floored by what is available at Corvallis! As soon as I get a cold frame built and have learned some grafting, I'll take advantage of their resources.

Phenomenol.