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Fruit & Orchards

Are Shinseiki pears self-fruitful?

15 years ago

Hi all.

My parents had both a Shinseiki and a Shinko pear tree. However, the Shinko just died over the winter. Guess this past winter was too cold. However, the Shinko is loaded with flower buds. I figure that it must like cold winters. My Gravenstein apple has more buds on it than I've ever seen on it before, too. Anyway, I've read that Shinseiki may be self-fruitful, but does anyone know for sure?

Thanks

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Comments (7)

alan haigh
15 years ago
Self-fruitfulness is a highly variable condition. If you are someplace that has quite warm springs when tree is in bloom the chances are a lot better for any pear variety to bear without other pollen (carpenocarthicly?, sorry can't look up spelling).
someguyinmaine
Original Author
15 years ago
Typo. I meant that the Shinseiki is loaded with flower buds.

Our springs definitely are not warm here in this part of Maine. Snow is still often on the ground in spots at the end of May. Then we have about a week or two of nice weather before it starts to get hot with our long summer days.

So, I take it that Shinseiki probably isn't self-fruitful here. Oh well. I really don't want to graft another Shinko onto the rootstock if can't take an occasional extra cold winter. (What ever happened to that global warming they promised us?)

So does anyone know of a pear that is compatible with Shinseiki that is hardy to zone 4b? It actually got -42F here once this past winter, but that's rare and that's probably what killed the Shinko. My parents also have Moonglow and Seckel, but the bloom times aren't even close to Shinseiki.

Thanks.
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theaceofspades
15 years ago
My 2 Shinseiki pears bloom like mad for a long time, about a month long. The bloom time here overlaps the european pears which are later blooming. I get lots of fruit set which takes hours to thin. Shinseiki are irresistible when ripe in late August. If you lost a pollinator for Shinseiki check to see how it sets without one so you won't have a big thinning out job.
jellyman
15 years ago
Someguy:

If your Shinseiki tree is loaded with fruiting buds, why not wait until June and see what happens? I have a Shinseiki here, and it oversets pears so heavily that I end up thinning it three or four times. Granted, I have other Asian and European pears around, but these things really want to set fruit. I agree with Harvestman that there is great variability in the self-fruitfulness of Asian pears. My bet is that your solitary Shinseiki will set enough fruit that you will have to thin. If there are any other blossoming pears within 1/4 mile, and there are any bees around, they will see to that.

Give us a report in about June when you can see what is happening. I guess the alternative for you would be to plant another pear tree, but that's not going to affect performance this season anyway.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA
scaper_austin
15 years ago
Not to sound like a parrot but I agree that you will probably get fruit on your shinseiki. I have a strong feeling that it is self fruitfull but I also have lots of pears nearby. I'm almost possitive you'll get fruit this year.

Scape
cowboyup4christ
15 years ago
European pears and flowering Bradford pears will cross pollinate all Asian pears
kquat
15 years ago
the guy in Maine:

Shinseiki is Asian pear. If you go to the Nursery and ask for a scion of Hosui or 20th century pear and graft them to your Shinseiki, it will work very well because they are all Asian pears and grafting pears is very easy. Good luck. Kim

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