I Need a +5ft Olympic Asian Pear in Ohio/Michigan

12 years ago

I planted a boatload of fruit trees on my little 1/2 acre because I adore fruit. I got most of them from my local nursery because they were well branched (you can buy everything but time). The only problem is that no one around me has asian pears, or for that matter olympic asian pears which I love the most.

I ordered an olympic from ACN last year and it came as a stick and died over the winter (it was bet rootstock). This year I got an olympic from raintree (as ohf97) and it is a stick at 1/4 caliper! I could be waiting more than 3 more seasons for olympic pears...

Please help me!! Does anyone know anywhere that I could buy a well branched +5ft (so 5 gallon or more pot) olympic asian pear in ohio or michigan? I am out of Toledo and would drive a hundred miles for one but none are to be found.

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Comments (9)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
12 years ago
try the link..

CALL THEM ... do not email or try the catalog ...

and if they dont have it.. ask them for a referral ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
12 years ago
and do understand.. i am simply referring you to the largest tree farm that i know of.. within your range..

i have NEVER shopped fruit there ...

and i do not know what they have, nor stock ...

but if you go.. plan a few hours in their 10 acre conifer arboretum .. its to die for ...

ken
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Wow that’s a lot of questions. I see where you all coming from and great points. Keep in mind I just started planting things so if I come off not knowing what I’m doing please don’t get offended. I know some people have great passions with plants and stuff I don’t want to offend anyone with my lack of knowledge or not having time to care or maintain it as much as one would like. I appreciate all your comments and expertise. Murky .Are the trees planted in the same soil as the rest of the yard?--Yes. What kind of soil is it?--Mostly clay. If you dig a hole in the soil and fill it with water does the water drain?--Yes. How do you determine when and how much to water them?--In the Texas summer I water them 2 times a week, once a week in spring, once every 2 weeks in fall and once a month in the winter. Are there other trees in the same conditions that are doing well? What kind?--No If those questions don't uncover anything I would think about how much sun they are getting ��" 6 hours. how they were planted (were they bare root or potted, what time of year, were the potted ones rootbound and if so what did you do at planting etc.) ��" They were all from potted, I planted them as they would be in a pot meaning a little above ground level with a little of the soil in the pot mixed in with the clay. Planted in spring about 3 years ago. Not sure if I understand what rootbound means but I did loosen up the roots as much as I can without hurting it before I planted. Other questions that come to mind are have you done a soil test? No Is somebody driving heavy equipment over the root zone?--No Do the leaves look healthy throughout the growing season?--Yes Have the trees been damaged?--No Have you observed pests or diseases taking a toll on them?--Not much Pest, if there’s any I would spray them with vinegar mixed with water (don’t ask why ��" wifey’s idea) . Were they allowed to fruit heavily very young?--I’m not sure how old the trees was when I bought it, but yes I did let the fruits grow. Also, my wife is into organic stuff so i don’t use chem fertilizer on the trees. I should have use organic fertilizer but I didn't put any. By the way, I think something is confused in the telling or in my reading with regard to the Asian pear/Fuji Apple. That sounds like two different trees. Did the tree have 2 tags - one of each? When it had fruit was it an apple or a pear? I don't know of an Asian pear named Fuji, and for all intents and purposes you cannot have the two on the same tree (while maybe technically possible you will never find such a tree for sale). ��"-there was one tag and it says Asian pear/Fuji apple. I asked the worker what it means by Asian pear/Fuji Apple, she said it was mixed between the two. When it fruited it kind of looks/tasted like an Asian pear, it’s hard to say because the fruit was too small. bhawkins Do the trees get any extra water during the year? I don’t know how to answer this question. How many hours of sun a day do they get?--6hours Did you plant with amendmends, like peat moss?--With some of the soil from the pot mixed in with clay. What's your soil like? Crumbly, or clay, or white rocks?-- clay, top 2 feet is sand mixed in with clay. Do you use mulch? Yes, but the grass has taken over and I left it since. I have a new born so I don't get to go online much so I would like to apologize in advanced for the delays on my replies.
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kiger
Original Author
12 years ago
I appreciate the help. I called them up and they don't have any asian pears. The referred me to Bordines but they don't have any. Bordines referred me to Weigands but they don't have any. Weigands referred me to an apple orchard but that was also a no go.

I just wanted to post what I did so this thread will not yet die.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
12 years ago
well.. we tried within 100 miles north ..

perhaps you ought to look 100 miles south.. towards .. heck whats down that way.. dayton.. cinci ... columbii ...etc ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link
mamuang_gw
12 years ago
Hi There,

Don't know if my info would be what you want to hear. I mailed order my Asian pears, two years ago from Burnt Ridge, last year from Schlabach. They were bare roots about 4 ft. tall. They all have grown well and fast since. Shinko took only 2 years to fruit. 20th century took 3 years to fruit. I bought my Olympic in pot locally and it fruited the year I bought it and ever since. By all account, Asian pears give fruit much faster than Euro pears. My guess, if you can wait, by year 3, you'll get fruit.
kiger
Original Author
12 years ago
Mamuang, I think that is exactly what I am going to do. I was able to locate a company in virginia that has a 7 gallon pot with an olympic but shipping was $250 and the tree is $70. Don't get me wrong, I love asian pears, but not that much lol!
paleo6
12 years ago
Give 'Grandpa's Orchard' of Coloma a try. (u can google 'em). I just purchased a 20th Century pear from this month. It is a solid feathered tree of at least 6' tall. Bare root.
pinc06
11 years ago
Hi Kiger

I've been in your shoes. It took a lot of work but I did find some very nice Asian Pears (all dwarfs) at 2 garden centers north of me. I purchased a Rajah and what was labeled to be a Daisui Li at Berns Garden center. I later discovered the second one was mislabeled as it bore actual pear shaped fruit. Original selling orchard (Hollybrook Orchards.com) says it couldn't be a Ya Li (only pear shaped Asian pear I can find record of) as they don't carry that variety so insist it's a European and I'm hoping to figure out which one this year. I checked back for more at Berns's this year and they had none. However I also found nice dwarf trees at Marvins Organic Gardens. Sadly they are currently closed for the season but I know when I bought my last tree there in Oct they still had a couple Hardy Giants (which I believe is another name for Olympic) plus one Hosui and a couple New Century (Shinseiki). Very nice dedicated folks, but trees a bit pricy. If you get on their mailing list sometime during the winter they offer a chance to buy gift certificates and actually send you twice the certificate you purchase. That means I bought $100 and they sent me 2 $100 certificates. So the Hardy Giant priced at $90 actually cost me $45.

Other thing I want to mention is that I went to many many many well known reputable nurseries around the Cincinnati area looking for Asian Pears and was told by every single one of them (except Marvins) that Asian Pear was just a pear that bore fruit. I couldn't even get any of them to check a book to prove they were wrong. Oddly, even Berns where I actually bought 2 Asian pear trees told me the same thing. Luckily I checked their stock for myself and found the Rajah and Daisui Li there. Rajah is my favorite of the 4 varieties that have fruited for me. Hosui tastes slightly better but is a far more challenging tree to grow. (I prefer sweet over tart). Rajah has been a dream requiring minimal pruning and producing lots of yummy fruit. 20th Century I didn't care much for, but they say first couple years of fruit on young trees tend to be lower quality so I'm giving it a chance. The first 4 trees (yes, I count Daisui Li since the tree and leaves look way more Asian than European to me) were prob 4-5 feet and in 5 gallon pots. I planted in autumn and all 4 bore fruit the next year. I also put in Hardy Giant, Shinseiki, Drippin Honey and Chojuro this year but will prob only get fruit from the Hardy Giant as it is the only large one.

I really hope this helps. I went nuts looking and calling a couple years back.

Pam in cinti

Here is a link that might be useful: Marvin's Organic Gardens
pinc06
11 years ago
Here's the link to Hollybrook Orchards Pear page. They clearly state Korean Giant and Olympic Giant to be the same type. When you click the link it shows a pic of the hangtag that comes on each tree and it actually says Hardy Giant.

They are wholesale only but provide a very nice listing of places that sell their products. While Marvins Gardens is not currently on the list it was there last year. I suspect they update it yearly from new purchases and Marvins prob didn't buy any new trees from them this year. Marvins stock seems to move slowly which is why I don't hesitate to tell you they have the varieties I stated since I was there the last week they were open. They also havelots of apples but seem to not have tart cherries or plums as I have checked them out 3 yrs running now. They take very good care of their stock so I wouldnt' worry much about them being there over a year.

Pinc

Here is a link that might be useful: Hollybrook Orchards pear variety descriptions

I Need a +5ft Olympic Asian Pear in Ohio/Michigan

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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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I Need a +5ft Olympic Asian Pear in Ohio/Michigan

Comments (9)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

mamuang_gw

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