Where can one find pear rootstock that is suitable to graft pears to in Louisiana. It is my intent to graft some biscamp pears to what rootstock I can find that would be compatable. I budded orient to a pear rootstock that was existing (shoots just came up from the roots of two pear trees blown donw in the hurricanes) and they are doing well...do not know the name or what rootstock they are on. Looking for pear rootstock. Anyone help...........thanks David

Quinces, Hawthorns, Winter Banana Apple and Pyrus betulifolia are good rootstocks for pears, aside from pear seedlings.

I would select rootstock varieties that are fireblight resistant such as Old Home x Farmingdale crosses, such as #33 (OHxF 33)

Here's where you can purchase them.
http://www.cumminsnursery.com/pearroot.htm

Thanks for the information. I looked at their website and will have to call them. Pears are somewhat new to me even though I have grafted them out before. I dont know a lot about varities as I am only familar with the Orient and Biscamp. Will learn more as I go ............Thanks David

I have sent for information on availability and prices on seedling rootstock from several places. In the intrim I visited a friend and as luck would have it he had a large tree that had grown from the rootstock of his pear trees....It was full of little seed pears about the size of a marble. I gathered a zip lock full of them. Now I need to know what to do with them.

Do I remove the little bit of pulp or ???
Do they need a rest period in the refrigerator?
Do I plant them now or wait till spring..............?
How does one go about planting them?

Thanks for any information anyone can proffer. I would love to get the seed started. It would be a fun project and a real satisfaction could be found from success...........David

Try some seeds from a bradford pear-pyrus calleryana (you know the ornamental pears that everyone has in there yard). I've seen them listed as available rootstocks for pears on various websites.

Pyrus calleryana is most often used in the Southeast. I have used seedling ornamental PC for rootstock. I have read that pears are sometimes propagated commerically using a rootgraft, where the scion is grafted directly to a piece of root. I believe Stan mentioning talking to a nuseryman where they grafted apples or pears (maybe both) using this method.

Ned