Hi folks,

Just curious if any one ever successfully rooted pear cuttings?  I'd gotten few Asian pear cuttings from a relative and attempted to root them (perlite+coco coir in a shoe-box method).  The cuttings must be very viable because every exposed bud opened up and put out some little leaves.  However, it has been over 4 weeks now and there is no sign of any roots coming out.

Thanks,

Sometimes fig cuttings do the same. I think you may be on your way.

Pears are easy to graft.  
If you can find an old pear tree there will be bound to be some seedlings or suckers that are growing near it.  Dig them up, bench graft the Asian pear scion and plant them where you can tend to them.  You should have a good chance of success.
 
I have tried rooting dormant hardwood cuttings using klonex.   all failed after initially pushing out green growth from the stored energy in the cutting.  Never saw a sign of a root.  

Can i airlayer a sucker that is attached to the bottom of the trunk ? And what is bench graft?

Thanks Richie for the encouraging words.  I will keep my eyes out!

Pino, that is a great way to get rootstocks.  Grafting is my plan B (I've saved another few scions).  I have already asked someone to get me some rootstocks from a nursery close to Guelph.  Your way of getting rootstocks is much more economical.  Unfortunately, I have not seen any pear trees in my neighbourhood or would know where to find one.  I will attempt bench graft using the whip and tongue method.  Please tell me if there is a better method.

Bench graft is grafting done on the bench: with the scion being grafted on the a rootstock that is bare root. And the whole plant is then planted.

Hi Bill
Around Niagara there are many abandoned orchards.  Ottawa may not have the same opportunity.  Bottom line you need to get a rootstock. 

By bench graft I was referring to grafting the wild tree you dug up and then planting it later.  Effectively it would be the same as a bare root rootstock and the scion could be grafted before planting.  Since it is easier to work on a bench. 
Alternatively some people like to transplant the rootstock 1st let it get established for a year and then graft the following year.  But I think grafting right away works fine as long as the scion is dormant.  If it fails you can try grafting again the following year on the by then larger rootstock.
The type of graft will depend on how the scion and rootstock match.  If they are the same size whip and tounge is fine but if the rootstock is much bigger then a cleft graft may be better.

By the way pear scion can also be grafted unto apple rootstock.  
Don't know the limitations around this you may get less percentage success.  But if may be worth the chance if you can't get a pear rootstock maybe apple are more common up there?

I agree with advice to Graft as pears are about the easiest plant to graft.  A few years ago, when cleaning out some unused graft Scion I  noticed some pear I believe Seckel was callused well so I just stuck a group in a 5 gal pot kept in shade and they leafed out. Leafing out really means little I would not get excited, but a couple retained some leaves until fall, so I was certain I had success. Come spring they still scratched green and the 2 put on a some leafs and I decided to separate in individual pots. I was expecting some significant roots as it was probably 9 months from being potted. There was not a root on either one and no signs there ever had been. I still had a hard time believing they could retain some leafs all summer go dormant and then break bud in spring but they did. They were left outside for winter but I don't think that factored. I know folks have stated being successful with rooting some pears, but with Callery seedling all about in places to the degree of invasive here, and the ease to graft I doubt I will try again.

Hi,
Well, rooting a pear scion "does not work" ... normally. They keep and make new leaves but finally fail.
I have some that leafed out in a pot ... I'll tell you if I have success .
Last year, they failed when heat became stronger in June . They just died completely for no reason after making 2 leaves but no roots. They seem to be able to use their reserves for a long time before depleting them ...

So grafting is the way people use for pear trees, cherry trees, peach trees and apple trees. Probably the reason why I came to figs ...
I don't want to grow a rootstock first . Of course, for people with some land ... keeping seedlings for future use is possible.

Pino,

It's quite sad to hear that people abandoned their orchards, especially when I have been dreaming of having one myself.  Perhaps next spring I should make a trip down to Niagara just to get some free rootstocks for some fruit plants.  Since most of those fruit trees were probably grafted on good rootstocks, getting those suckers as rootstocks is as good as buying new ones.

If only I knew that pear scions could be grafted onto apple rootstocks (probably crapapples too?) because I just cut out about 20 or so suckers around the base of my crapapple tree last week.

Phil and jds, thanks for confirming what I have suspected: the cuttings are using their internal energy to support those new leaves without having any roots.  I suspect my cuttings will eventually wither and die.