How to Propagate Kieffer Pear Trees from Cuttings

Kieffer Pears

The Kieffer pear is a tree that was gifted to me several years ago. I have very little to do to keep the tree looking good and producing fruit beyond giving it a yearly pruning in the winter. Only recently did I find that you can propagate the cuttings from a Kieffer Pear. Now granted, they are not nearly as easy as a willow cutting which just seems to want to root as soon as you try, but with some trial and error, the Kieffer pear cuttings will root over time.

The Kieffer pear is a hybrid between a European pear and a Chinese Sand pear with large crisp yellow fruit. I have to pay close attention or the squirrels will eat them just as they are about to ripen. I pick them while they are still firm and let them ripen inside safe from the wild harvesters.

Pear trees generally need between 200 and 800 chill hours of temperatures between 45 and 32 degrees to produce fruit. The Kieffer Pear needs about 400 chill hours and tolerates hot weather.

Since the Kieffer Pear is a hybrid, you can only use asexual propagation to reproduce the same plant. 

Kieffer Pear Blossoms

According to my research, the best way to propagate Kieffer Pear tree cuttings is the following:

• Prepare a 50:50 mixture of dampened vermiculite and coconut coir
• Fill a plant pot with at least 4 inches of the mixture
• Take either dormant or softwood cuttings and make sure the bottom angled cut is fresh and not dried out
• Dip the bottom of the cutting in rooting hormone
• Place the treated cutting in a prepared hole that is about 4 inches deep so that only one growth node is above the soil line
• Press the planting mixture firmly around the cutting
• Cover the container with clear film or a cover to allow light in but to also provide a humid environment for the cutting
• Place the cuttings under grow lights for 12 hours a day at about 72 degrees (F)
• Watch the cuttings for the next couple of months, lifting the cover every week or so to refresh the air and to make sure the soil stays moist.
• Once you see signs of root growth, transplant to a larger pot with regular potting soil and continue to water and make sure it gets 12 hours of sunlight a day.
• In the fall, allow the new plant to hibernate over the winter outside either in a pot or in a protected spot in your garden.
• Keep the soil moist for a least the first year after planting. 

So why not give this method a try and see if you can't produce a new tree for your food forest or backyard garden. If you don't have access to a Kieffer Pear tree, I do sell them for a few weeks of the year on Etsy here, Wildflower Run