Re: [nafex] Pears becoming self fertile

I have an old pear tree that sets fruit despite there being no others for about six hundred feet; and it produced before I planted the ones several hundred feet away. -- the one at that distance is now down to one pear tree, and also sets some fruit; it is now well over twenty years old.


-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 6A now I think
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale
On Oct 10, 2016, at 1:56 AM, Jim Fruth wrote:

> Despite the belief that pear trees are self sterile, I have observed evidence that they become self fertile after experiencing a period of producing no fruit/seed. As I mentioned in an earlier email (several years ago), I know a fellow who had a single pear producing tree with no neighbors for miles around - and, consequently, no pear trees.
> I had a single pear tree for twenty years that began blooming after twelve years but produced no fruit. I haven't been able to find another pear tree for many miles around. When my tree became twenty years old it produced a few fruits. The following year it produced nearly 2,000 fruits. Some might argue that there must have been a nearby pear tree that began blooming at the same time. That might be a plausible argument if a small quantity of fruits were produced, but 2,000 fruits? Yes it is hypothesis but the evidence suggests that pears can become self fertile after producing no fruits/seeds for some years.
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