Every wonder why abandoned farmsteads often make such great hunting areas? Some of it has to do with most game animals preferring the reverting edge habitat created as natural succession consumes once open lawns and pastures. But within that habitat lies hidden treasure. When still occupied and maintained, most homesteads also had small fruit orchards; and though they’ve long gone fallow, they still produce succulent soft mast that wildlife seek out in late summer.
Thanks to the folks at Chestnut Hill Outdoors, you can create the same conditions, at the same time attracting and holding more and healthier wildlife on your land by planting orchards of soft mast species like pears. Since pears are among the earliest soft mast shrubs to fruit, providing ripe fruit as early as July, they help fill important nutritional gaps for wildlife.
Chestnut Hill Outdoors offers several varieties of pears:
- Baldwin (Pyrus communis) are native to Europe and eastern Asia and have been introduced throughout much of the eastern United States, from Maine to Florida and as far west as Texas and Missouri. They grow best in moist soils with at least partial sunlight, and they can reach a height of up to 40 feet.
- Discovered by Dr. James Kroll in Texas, the Dr. Deer Pears (Pyrus, sp) ripens later, has small fruit in clusters and tends to hold onto them well into late fall, until Thanksgiving. Best suited for Zones 5-9.
- Kieffer (Pyrus sp.) is a vigorous and very hardy variety, almost immune to fire blight that ripens during hunting season (Sept-Oct.) It is best suited for Zones 5-9.
- Spalding Pear (Pyrus sp.) is a healthy, vigorous tree that produces loads of medium sized fruit, thrives in warm, wet springs, bears in 3-4 years and ripens in August.
- As the name implies, Thanksgiving Pears (Pyrus sp.) ripen in late fall and hold on the tree until Thanksgiving. Traditional pear shape Fruit is excellent for deer and other wildlife and will bring them in throughout the hunting season. Hardy in Zones 5-9.
- Flordahome is a hybrid between Pyrus communis and Pyrus pyrifolia developed by the University of Florida best suited for Zones 8-10.
- Hood Pear is also a Pyrus communis x pyrifolia hybrid with high disease resistance that ripens in July and is best suited for the South.. Zones 8-10.
- Le Conte is a communis x pyrifolia hybrid as well that features vigorous growth and consistent production, ripens July-August and is optimally suited to Zones 8-9.
- Orient pear is a vigorous and very hardy, almost immune to fire blight, ripens during hunting season and thrives in Zones 6-8.
- Yet another communis x pyrifolia hybrid, the Pineapple Pear bears heavy crops of large, tangy pineapple-flavored fruit Aug-Sep in Zones 5-9.
Pears are easy to establish, grow more vigorously and produce more fruit in full sun and prefer slightly acid (pH 5.9-6.5) well-drained, sandy loam soils, but they will grow on many soil types if good drainage is provided.
Chestnut Hill Outdoors is more than just a nursery. In order to ensure you receive the maximum benefit from their products, they also provide sound advice and instruction on proper planting and care. And they ensure the plants you receive are suited to your regional climate. For more on Chestnut Hill Outdoors products and how to care for them, visit ChestnutHillOutdoors.com, or call (855) 386-7826.
