I have a Comice pear tree that, after seven years,
finally is producing some flowers. I've found
conflicting evidence regarding its fertility. Most
sources say that Comice is not self-fruitful, but one
(http://homeorchard.ucdavis.edu/general-pollination.html)
says it is self-fruitful in California (but not in the
Pacific northwest.) I'd like to find a small amount of
pear pollen to apply myself. Does anyone know where
this might be available in southern California?

In article ,
Jonathan Ball wrote:

I have a Comice pear tree that, after seven years,
finally is producing some flowers. I've found
conflicting evidence regarding its fertility. Most
sources say that Comice is not self-fruitful, but one
(http://homeorchard.ucdavis.edu/general-pollination.html)
says it is self-fruitful in California (but not in the
Pacific northwest.) I'd like to find a small amount of
pear pollen to apply myself. Does anyone know where
this might be available in southern California?

Why not get a pollinator and let it reside in the back. I purchased a
male holly and the berries have been about. Slow to see the effect but
one holly without seed is a small price to pay for many with.

Bill

--
Garden in shade zone 5 S Jersey USA

Bill wrote:
In article ,
Jonathan Ball wrote:

I have a Comice pear tree that, after seven years,
finally is producing some flowers. I've found
conflicting evidence regarding its fertility. Most
sources say that Comice is not self-fruitful, but one
(http://homeorchard.ucdavis.edu/general-pollination.html)
says it is self-fruitful in California (but not in the
Pacific northwest.) I'd like to find a small amount of
pear pollen to apply myself. Does anyone know where
this might be available in southern California?

Why not get a pollinator and let it reside in the back.

I've thought of that, and I might still, but I figure
the pollen might be a little cheaper, and it might also
be a little late. I tried that with a couple of apple
trees - one to bear, the other to pollinate - and it
turned out they don't flower at the same time.

It's not a bad idea, though, and I may drive over to a
very nice nursery nearby (Persson's, Pasadena) at lunch
today and see what they have.

I'm still interested in the pollen availability, just
as a matter of curiosity. I found one source up in
Washington state that sells it for $1.40 per gram, but
there's a 10 gram minimum and the shipping cost was
about $20, so it would cost me $34 or so for an
experiment that might not even work; the pears would be
awfully expensive even if it did!


I purchased a
male holly and the berries have been about. Slow to see the effect but
one holly without seed is a small price to pay for many with.

Bill