ECOS Pear Seeds

The Ecos pears were developed from a single tree found in central Michigan growing in a front yard as a seedling tree. The tree's origins go back to its home country in Pakistan which was selected from seed to the home of a USDA scientist many years ago. It was brought to my attention and we carefully took out the seeds and grew a small population.  When I grew out the seedlings in my open pastures, it brought in a whole new flavor profile not found in either the common pear or the Asian pear. The fruits were rich in antioxidants and rather tart. Some were very juicy and sweet as well.  The bland pastiness of commercial pears was eliminated for the most part leaving a more tart pear with wide variations of flavor and size. Fruits varied from 1-3 inch in size. People liken it to Juicy Fruit gum flavor. It is delicious processed into sauce syrups and jams but sugar is needed on most of them. However some selections are very sweet and juicy on their own and can easily be eaten fresh. None of the fruits require spray and the trees are immune to fireblight. 

Future cultivar development is easy with this seed strain as the seedlings follow this trend with robust flavor and smaller fruit. Larger healthy leaves are produced which indicate the Asian pear background and this alone can be a selection guide for healthier fruit and trees.   Tolerant to every soil type except wet, this hybrid pear produces a rich diversity of unique fruited plants. Some trees tend towards timber growth habit but most are strongly pyramidal and oval shaped with a strong central leader. I use only the large fruited types for the seeds which represent a scaled down version of the Asian pear. Although this strain has been used in the past for feeding wildlife, the real value of it  its disease and insect resistant fruit production for humans. 

Many pear seeds offered by the seed companies are cannery waste or are imported. Many people do not want the hybridity viewing it as undesirable or not necessary. The Ecos pears are hybrid pears of mixed origins adding to it the common pear, Pyrus communis. This hybridity is an asset and could be used to develop many types of timber trees. Other applications include timber production for musical instruments, syrups and candy. The Ecos pear represents a great population of a common fruiting plant.  

To germinate the seeds:  Plant in the fall 1/4 inch deep in sandy soil. Use a light compost to cover the seeds 1/8 inch deep. Tamp the seeds into the soil to hold them in place.  Seeds will emerge in early spring and are quite frost tolerant.  Place seeds half inch apart in the row. 
For indoor germination:  Store in lightly damp Canadian peat moss for 90-120 days at 33-39 F in the fridge. Seeds will sprout in roughly 60 days and will continue to sprout slowly in the refrigerator.  After 120 days, remove the remainder of the seeds and normally they will all continue to sprout in 1-2 weeks. When potting keep in mind the depth you are planting so the seed head is close to the surface of the soil and not overly buried. Watch for mold with the fridge method.