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Medlar seedlings first fruit are small
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Idyllwild
Jackson County, OR (Zone 7b/8a)
47 Posts
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1
September 15, 2025 - 9:30 am

Hey folks,

I am growing several medlar seedlings from a few different sources and three of them are making fruit for the first time this season. Two of the plants were quite loaded and have been self thinning through the summer, but still have relatively decent amount of fruit.

All of the fruit is quite small, maybe an inch or just over an inch wide. I imagine they'll get a bit bigger before winter, but probably not by too much at this point.

I am disappointed in the fruit size, but maybe that's what I get for planting seedlings of unknown origin.

I am thinking about grafting named varieties on them, but curious if you all think I should wait it out another season or two and see first? I know that the first season to fruit on some species is smaller than what they'll eventually be. I'm also curious how much factor thinning has on fruit size with medlars.

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

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sweepbjames
NE Portland, OR Cully Neighborhood
285 Posts
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September 15, 2025 - 8:20 pm

I'd say wait a while to see how they play out.

Small fruit size may not persist, as you say, into the generations going forward. Seems to me the fruit size may be of importance mainly for processing needs, bigger might be better in those instance, less handling for jam, tarts or wine. My direct experience is rather limited to fresh eating, (though I've tasted jam that was lovely.) Was the recipient of a large variety of the leftover medlar from the last couple of HOS All About Fruit Shows. Got to monitor the bletting  of at least a dozen varieties each of those last two years. We concentrated on collecting a larger sampling of medlar to show, those last. The point being that my considered opinion was, for fresh eating, there was a smaller fruited variety that presented as my favorite because of its exceptional flavor and texture, not dry or stringy. Perfect for enjoying and refreshment/replenishment in the van after or between jobs, no spoon required.  Superb. I read John S secured scion wood of that one called Ka Kheti. Was said from wild (in that case it'd be selected from a seedling surely,) from Georgia, on the another continent. John may pipe in to affirm the observation or not.  Anyway, small is not necessarily a deficit. Ka Kheti was the smallest fruited of all the collected samples and if memory serves most of the varieties or far more, in the repository collection, were more mid size and larger, bigger and huge. 

And sometimes, it seems, it takes a tree or shrub some time to come into its own. I've a Pawpaw that consensus was, by those who had a lot of depth of experience at the time, really not that good tasting of a pawpaw and thus, had been and was no longer even offered in any catalogues to their knowledge. I thought seriously about using it to graft something more reputedly delicious on to. Nothing offered up, by way of scions at the time.  Seems these decades later it has now become more the favorite of my pair. For the last few years at least, we'll soon see about this year. Oh, and I had previously noted that variety was an exceptional pollination partner for my other tree, because of its earlier to bloom and extended flowering period.

So, for at least some of those 'reasons', I'd think to wait a bit to see what develops. I don't grow any medlar. Discussions have suggested they are not too fussy about grafting, a lot like apples I'd suspect. Maybe shorter scions to hang on to, (...from some past pruning efforts I'd seen.) Reportedly they even take well to Hawthorn roots/seedlings, (though it seems to me that might result in kind of a bigger bush.) As you've noted, you can still graft on at any point you determine.

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John S
PDX OR
3061 Posts
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September 17, 2025 - 10:23 am

I agree with James. Big fruit is mostly for processing.  I have grown medlar for decades.  I eat it fresh, although I have frozen some to eat later in the winter.There aren't that many good tasting fruits that you harvest here in November and December.

I did indeed graft Kha Kheti on James' suggestion. This will be the first year in which I will be able to taste the fruit.  It is much smaller than my other varieties.  I will say that Nottingham, which I love, is the same size as Royal, which I consider to be a good, but not great medlar, IMHO. I have mostly grafted out Royal, but I've kept some for pollination.

I concur that medlar is pretty easy to graft. I have mostly grafted it to quince.  I noticed that the original tree I bought was grafted to quince.  

Many fruits vary considerably from year to year.  The flavor might also grow on you.  If you were to graft on another variety, I would try to graft it such that you still have your original variety. It might help with pollination as well.

John S
PDX OR

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Idyllwild
Jackson County, OR (Zone 7b/8a)
47 Posts
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September 30, 2025 - 10:45 am

Hey @John S and @sweepbjames 

Thank you both for your thoughtful feedback! I wanted to get some photos of my medlars before I replied and I'm including them below. I included my (large size) hand for reference of what the average and larger end of the fruit size is on my three trees that have fruit this year. I also included a photo that shows how dense the fruits are, in case you think thinning may have helped increase fruit size. I'd love to hear your feedback on that too!

So what do you think, is this along the lines of what you both refer to as small medlars? I cut one open and it seems there is not much flesh in the flesh to seed ratio. 

My only experience eating medlar in the past was at a farmer friend's place and the medlar he shared with me was like the size of a small apple (bigger than crab apple) so that set my expectation and it's why I was surprised how small they were.

What do you consider to be a normal "small" size and how big can I expect the larger cultivars to be if I were to graft?

I am tempted to graft, at least some of the bushes and I really like John's suggestion of keeping some of the original seedling variety to continue growing as well, in case it's size does increase in coming seasons, or in case it's flavor is wonderful.

I'm not worried about pollination because I have 5 medlar seedlings near each other and may add a few more later.

Good to know about graft compatability with hawthorn and quince. I planted these medlars in a place where their height will be appropriate and as seedlings they are all quite vigorous so I am happy with them, but I'll keep it in mind for the future because I have a lot of extra hawthorn and quince seedlings.

Aside from commenting on the size of these fruit, do you all have any recommendations for quality larger sized cultivars I can consider grafting?

Thank you!

img3.jpgimg2.jpgimg1.jpg

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John S
PDX OR
3061 Posts
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5
September 30, 2025 - 12:02 pm

Those look to be quite small medlars.  Bigger than crabapples-plum size would be very large Medlars. I have never grown large medlars.  I ate some at PCC Rock Creek. They were quite good. I have thought about grabbing a scion over there.  

John S
PDX OR

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sweepbjames
NE Portland, OR Cully Neighborhood
285 Posts
(Offline)
6
September 30, 2025 - 7:29 pm

Yep, Pretty small fruit. Nearly on par with the ones previously mentioned at Johns place, though his Ka Kheti is a bit overstoried by the house and taller plants thus more sparse, his fruits also are a bit smaller than what I recalled. The pickings for the event I remember happened just prior to the third Saturday in October, from the repository in Corvallis so maybe with the rains onset there may also be a bit of sizing up? Nah.  I figure your foliage is lush so they appear to be pretty well exposed to the sun. Karen T, when asked for her recommendations of medlar, longer ago, suggested bigger was better. That the taste variations were not so important in the processing. Nottingham I think has been put forward and the arboretum now HOEC, had also Monstruese (sp?) you're on your own for the spelling, sorry, I figured it meant monstrous in size as is my habit to make joke inference, but it's French, so something else. Was quite large, bigger than Nottingham. 

It's a shame, truly, that you won't be able to establish a relationship of interest with support staff at the germ plasm repository for a time. Due to the Gov't shutdown, those workers will be furloughed or worse, the land block with the Medlar collection will be inaccessible. It would be worth while getting in there to see that array if possible. and you are local there so you could pester them.Wink Maybe go tomorrow with fingers crossed they're slack in the shutting down and need some help with the gate.

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John S
PDX OR
3061 Posts
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7
September 30, 2025 - 9:50 pm

One Green World claimed that smaller medlars were better back in the day.  I don't really know.  I'll have to try more varieties of medlar, I guess.  In November, when I try Kha Kheti, I'll let you know. They are very small.

John S

PDX OR

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Idyllwild
Jackson County, OR (Zone 7b/8a)
47 Posts
(Offline)
8
October 1, 2025 - 10:04 am

Hey @John S and @sweepbjames 

Thanks for the additional feedback! You are both confirming my suspicion that my medlars are on the very small end, even if they get a bit bigger in coming seasons. We are north east facing and get some part shade in the morning and afternoon, but like you surmised I think there's enough sun. Our other tree fruits aren't lacking in size.

I am going to commit to grafting for larger varieties. I'll do some research and see if I can find the largest varieties that taste good, aside from Monstreuse d'Evreinoff which you mentioned and from my initial search seems to be the largest common variety available. I also found that Macrocarpa is up there but not quite as large. If you all have any ideas of other largest varieties I'd love to hear!

I'm not local so I can't just drop into germ plasm repository. I am in Southern Oregon. Thanks for the suggestion though.

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John S
PDX OR
3061 Posts
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9
October 1, 2025 - 11:24 am

There is a variety called Breda Giant, I believe.  You should have plenty of sun down there.  My tree is mostly in shade and it produces heavily.  I'm glad you're on the "medlar team".  We can share info to increase our opportunities.

John S
PDX OR

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Idyllwild
Jackson County, OR (Zone 7b/8a)
47 Posts
(Offline)
10
October 2, 2025 - 5:03 pm

Thanks for that @John S ! I'm glad to join team medlar Cool Looking forward to tasting these little fruits this winter.

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sweepbjames
NE Portland, OR Cully Neighborhood
285 Posts
(Offline)
11
October 2, 2025 - 8:01 pm

I'm sorry Idyllwild, I had it in mind that you were in Corvallis. I'm guessing I must have transposed locations of recent post readings Junction City for Jackson County, yep, that's me. Transmortified I am, meaning beyond.

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Idyllwild
Jackson County, OR (Zone 7b/8a)
47 Posts
(Offline)
12
October 7, 2025 - 9:36 am

@sweepbjames Haha no problem! I do that all the time Laugh 

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