I have 2 six foot trees in buckets to put in the ground - a barlett pear and a satsuma plum. If no other citrus trees nearby, will they bear fruit? It seems like there should be a straight forward answer but getting different advice from different nurseries and websites... both will bear fruit, may bear fruit, must have 2nd plum and pear, etc....?
Your plums will need a pollinator.
The pear is partially self-pollinating, but will benefit from another tree nearby, meaning you'll get some fruit with no other tree, but a much larger yield with a cross pollinator nearby.
And neither of the trees you mention is citrus.
I too saw those same google results. Can someone offer their own personal experience?
Neither plums nor pears are related to citrus. Thus, the nearby presence of citrus trees is no relevant.
If you are in the U.S., your question should be addressed to your county's agricultural agent or the agricultura extension of your state university.
In the UK we call the pear a williams. Your Bartlett pear tree is in flowering group 3. It is partially self-fertile, but a nearby pollination partner of a different variety is beneficial. I had one mature one with no pears near and we got a good crop every yer plenty for 3 of us. Your plumb may be self fertile if it's one of these If you only have space for one plum tree and you want a self-fertile Japanese cultivar, you have three choices: ?Methley," a sweet, reddish-purple plum; ?Shiro,? a large, sweet, bright-yellow plum; and ?Toka,? a red plum hybrid of Japanese and American plums. Otherwise ?Satsuma? plums may be pollinated by "Methey," "Shiro" and "Toka." Other useful Japanese plum pollinators are ?Beauty,? a large plum with amber-tinged red flesh and bright red skin; "Burbank," a purplish red plum; and ?Santa Rosa,? a large plum with purple flesh and reddish-purple skin. Citrus are Oranges and lemons etc.
Sorry - I have no personal experience with planting trees - in your yard .. .. wherever in this wide world that is .. :-) John T.
I see nopoint in reiterating what the experts say, After 77 years of gardening I know the difference between good and badf advice. In time I hope you learn as well.
Many thanks to David and everyone! Its back to the nursery for two different varieties for cross pollination. i would rather have extra than a poor crop down the road. Disappointed in the nursery dude who said pear would pollenate plum. Location is charlotte nc usa.
As much chance of a pear pollinating a pear as your dog breeding with your cat. That Nursery sounds like it needs someone who knows what they are talking about
rather have extra than a poor crop down the road. Disappointed in the nursery dude who said pear would pollenate plum. Location is charlotte nc usa.
Aside from pollenation NC is in the wrong growing zone for pear and plum... both require a lenghthy hard freeze for fruit production.
Sunset's "Western Garden Book" (which is sitting in front of me as I compose this reply) lists several pear and plum varieties for mild winter climates. While the book is intended for gardening west of the Rocky Mountains, the information on winter chill applies to the plants and can be relevant to eastern climates. Besides indicating suitability for various climates, the book also indicates which plum and pear varieties require cross-pollination and which other varieties are suitable pollinators.
Sunset has published a garden book (which I do not have) that is generalized to the entire U.S. Perhaps that should be consulted to find the pear and plum varieties suitable for North Carolina.
NOTE WELL: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) zones merely reflect how cold winters are. Sunset uses a different zone concept that includes how long winter cold lasts, hot hot summers are and how long the heat lasts, persistent humidity, when rain or snow fall, and other factors. Thus, instead of 10 USDA zones, Sunset has 26 zones just for the west.
When I lived in San Jose, California, I had a plum tree in my yard that fruited heavily every year (sometimes too heavily). It was probably Italian Prune, the tree that once made San Jose the dried fruit capital of the world.
We hardly ever got frost, and never had a hard freeze.
Of course there are some exceptions but I'd not count on those. In NC I suggest one plant peach trees.
Amazing how much bad info and guesses are being posted here. Plums, pears, apples... all grow with or without frost in most regions. Just give advice that you know is correct. Or say " i think", or "i read something someone else said..."
Physician, heal thyself.
This is the place i see that says 2 satsuma trees with pollenate each other. Could this be an error? Or will two identical fruit trees of all kinds work?
Forgot the ref...
Satsuma Japanese plums are fast growing, but not self fertile. You will need more than one Satsuma if you want them to bear fruit. Good choices for companion pollinating plum trees are, of course, another Satsuma or one of the following: ?Methley,? a sweet, red plum ?Shiro,? a large, sweet vibrantly yellow plum ?Toka,? a red hybrid plum
Read more at Gardening Know How: Satsuma Plum Care: Learn About Japanese Plum Growing
I found a local nursery with real help. Got all my questions answered correctly. Well worth the higher prices.
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