I am branching out in my fruit tree grafting efforts (I'm the Frankenfig guy), including:

apples (anna/dorsett golden/tropic sweet) that I will be grafting onto several commercially available dwarfing and semidwarfing roostock ordered for this spring,

persimmon on native rootstock last spring,

Chickasaw/guthrie/odom native plums on rooted cuttings, planning multi-variety trees

and pears (biscamp/southern barlett/perdue).

The pears were grafted last year onto both p. betulifolia and callery rootstock, both of which are vigorous fireblight resistant varieties, but a bit too vigorous, with mature sizes as large or larger than the species.

There are apparently precious few (any, really?) semi-dwarfing pears that tolerate the heat and humidity in the gulf south, fireblight USA.

I have read that OHxF 51 did very well down here and is semidwarfing, but suckered poorly or otherwise didn't lend itself to propagation as a rootstock.  Plus it didn't do well further north.

I ordered some from the USDA and anticipate getting two cuttings.  I will be grafting some onto other trees for a ready supply in the future, but also hope to try both rooting some for future grafting, and using some as an interstem between the callery and the fruiting pears.  I'm gonna run out of wood real quick like.

The crux: does anyone have access to OHxf 51?  an old tree that died back to the rootstock and regrew?  an intact grafted specimen that suckers?  li'l help?

I am growing this Variegated pear , bought it from Italy . Even its stem is variegated

I have had many recommendations for the orient pear for south LA, and I'll likely at least graft a branch in the future.  So many varieties, so little time. . .

How do those stripeys taste?  What is your zone?

I have two pears in the yard. We bought them from a private nursery. I will let you know what they are tomorrow. Richie. By the way your grafting lesson worked wonders for me. Have several grated fig trees that took. Thanks

Raintree sells rootstocks. I've ordered a lot of trees and berries from them in the past and they are a quality nursery. They have a couple pear rootstocks they claim to be fireblight resistant:

http://www.raintreenursery.com/Pear_Quince/

I actually have OHxF 333 on order from them for this spring, but locals here in the know tell me it does very poorly in both vigor and production down here.  I'm still going to give it a go, but have low hopes.  OHxF 51 is said to be everything 333 is not, despite similar traits when grown up north.

The other offerings are either non-dwarfing or quince, which is very FB susceptible.

Thanks. 

This request is more than a bit of a long shot, but 51's are out there.

yup, that confirms what I've read as I mentioned above. 

Yet it allegedly performs quite well as a semidwarfing rootstock.  

I guess that doesn't matter so much if you want to make a living propagating rootstock and there are easier varieties. . .




Richie, so glad you're having success with the grafting.  It sure is fun and rewarding.  You get to "build" something unique. 

Hi brackishfigger,
Perhaps consider using callery stock and graft the OH&F on that and the chosen variety on the top. The bullet proof callery will be retarded by the OH&F to some extent.
Travis

mhw

that's called an interstem and I'll be trying that as well.  SOmetimes that confers dwarfing traits well, sometimes not so much. 

If I can't find rootstock, and I can't get any cuttings to root, that will be my only option. 

The cuttings coming from the USDA will first be grafted to another tree for future supply and any left over either rooted and/or interstemed.  I'd sure like to have more cuttings to experiment with this spring.

thanks