The gardener's greatest pride is planting a pear tree of his own breeding. Whether through mossing, propagation through cuttings or refinement - with a little skill you can even harvest several types of pears from just one pear tree by breeding them yourself.

rearing from kernels

It could be very simple: just put a few pear seeds in the ground and a new tree will grow there in a few years. Unfortunately, it almost never works that way in garden practice.

Almost all pear trees are grafted, which means that the fruit-bearing branches grow on rootstock that comes from a completely different tree.

When you sow the seeds, you only get descendants of the tree species that provided the rootstock for your pear tree.

Propagation by mossing, grafting or cuttings

Single-variety pear trees can only be obtained by removing moss, grafting or cutting cuttings. In technical jargon, these methods are referred to as "vegetative propagation".

For the vegetative propagation of a pear tree you always need a robust basis. This can be a quince, which has proven itself very well in the refinement of pears. In principle, any tree that belongs to a species similar to the pear tree can be used.

Several varieties of pears on one tree

It is even possible to grow several varieties on one pear tree.

These breeds are made possible with several varieties by refining. In this process, scions of different pear varieties are grafted onto a supporting tree.

A great advantage of such self-breeding is that you have no problems with fertilization, even if you only graft the rootstock with monoecious pear varieties.

Why grow pear trees yourself?

You need patience if you want to grow a pear tree yourself. But the effort is worth it, because home breeding has several advantages:

  • Preservation of old varieties that are no longer commercially available
  • Space-saving extension
  • Good pollination by several varieties
  • Rejuvenation of the pear tree population with the same varieties.

tips and tricks

If you are new to pear tree propagation, seek advice from a nursery or an experienced home gardener. Many gardeners will be happy to give you valuable tips or show you how to successfully grow a pear tree.

Category:

Trees