Red Haily Pear Tree Question

[FruitAddict]

I planted a Red Haily Pear tree last Spring and it seemed to do fine all year last year. This spring when the all the other trees sprouted leaves it only spourted one set of leaves right above the graft and then a side shoot from below the graft. The side shoot has grown amazingly this year while the little cluster of leaves has not. I have several questions. Should I trim the below the graft side shoot and leave the small cluster of leaves or should I leave them all for this year? Will this tree ever produce from that one cluster of little leaves? Is the side shoot also another type of pear and maybe I can leave it have two pears types on one tree? Any advice on this will be greatly appreciated - Thank you.

[img]https://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z364/FruitAddict/100_0329.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z364/FruitAddict/100_0332.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z364/FruitAddict/100_0330.jpg[/img]

[bangstrom]

The shoot from below the graft will not likely bear good fruit and it appears to be competing with the Red Haily causing it to remain stunted. I would prune the shoot from below the graft and let the smaller cluster of leaves recover. It can grow into a good tree given a chance. If you let both grow, the smaller branch will likely abort leaving you with one poor quality tree.

[!potatoes!]

yeah, like bangstrom says ...in the future, I'd probably rub off any shoots growing from below the graft as soon as I see 'em. if you'd done that this spring, that little cluster of leaves may well have grown as much as that side shoot. if the rootstock finds that it (and not what was grafted onto it) really has a chance, it'll likely let the scion die, and support its own genetics.

[FruitAddict]

So while I was doing research on this question yesterday I came across a disturbin saying in regards to Pear Trees.... "Plant a Pear for your Heirs" becase planted from seed it can take them up to 20 years to produce it's first fruit - if this small cluster of leaves survives will it take that long to make fruit?

[!potatoes!]

no. you've got big head-start on a seed-grown tree, since you planted a somewhat-established grafted tree. it will probably be a few years, though.