Blake's Pride Pear
Pollination & Compatibility Guide
Blake's Pride pear pollination guide: Bloom Group 4 timing, high fire blight resistance, USDA breeding, and diploid partner selection.
Blake's Pride is Self-Sterile (Needs 1 Diploid Partner)
Blake's Pride needs at least one compatible pollinizer from bloom group 3–5 to set a reliable crop.
- Chromosome Ploidy
- Diploid (2n)
- Required Companions
- 1 Diploid Partner
- Bloom Group
- Group 4 (Late-Spring)
- Harvest Timing
- Late (-7d from Conference)
Flowering Period & Overlap Window
Pear flowering periods are compressed into numbered bloom groups (1 through 4). Cross-pollination requires overlapping blossom timing between genetically compatible cultivars, with Asian pears flowering 7–14 days ahead of mid-season European varieties.
Any compatible diploid pear flowering within Group 3 to 5 provides matching blossom overlap.
Compatible Pollination Partners (17)
| Cultivar | Bloom Group | Overlap Type | Harvest | Primary Uses | Interactive Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±21d delta | Fresh Eating, Cooking | Test Cross | |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±21d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±21d delta | Canning, Cooking | Test Cross | |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Mid ±21d delta | Fresh Eating, Storage | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late Concurrent (±0d) | Fresh Eating, Canning | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid Concurrent (±0d) | Fresh Eating, Canning | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid ±7d delta | Fresh Eating, Canning | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid ±7d delta | Fresh Eating, Cooking | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late ±7d delta | Fresh Eating, Cooking | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Early ±7d delta | Fresh Eating, Canning | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Early ±18d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late ±21d delta | Fresh Eating, Baking | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late ±21d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid ±21d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid ±21d delta | Fresh Eating, Storage | Test Cross |
Incompatible Varieties & Exclusions (3)
These pear varieties overlap in flowering time with Blake's Pride but cannot fertilise it due to non-viable pollen (male-sterile diploids), direct parentage exclusions, or shared incompatibility alleles.
Gourmet produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Magness produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Warren produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Pomological Assessment: Fire Blight Resistance, Late Bloom & Dessert Sizing
Released in 1998 by the USDA-ARS Appalachian Fruit Research Station, Blake's Pride was bred to deliver the high dessert quality of classic European cultivars combined with field resistance to fire blight comparable to Seckel. The fruit is medium-to-large, rounded pyriform, and turns golden yellow with light russet specks as it matures.
Blake's Pride is a diploid cultivar blooming in Bloom Group 4 (late mid-season). It requires companion diploids flowering in the mid-to-late window, such as Harrow Sweet, Potomac, Comice, or Shenandoah. Its fertile pollen makes it an effective companion donor in fire-blight-resistant orchard blocks.
Trees exhibit a moderately upright canopy that opens gracefully under initial crop loads. Fruit is borne predominantly on spurs, and commercial plantings on OHxF rootstocks demonstrate dependable annual returns with minimal alternate bearing issues. Commercial trials indicate that Blake's Pride exhibits low incidence of internal breakdown or core browning during controlled-atmosphere storage, making it a reliable mid-winter marketing option for growers in regions with recurring fire blight pressure.
Key Orchard Considerations for Blake's Pride
Performs exceptionally well on OHxF 87 rootstock, which provides semi-dwarf tree size and early, uniform spur development. Compatibility on Quince rootstocks is unproven; OHxF rootstocks are recommended.
Bred specifically for high field resistance to fire blight (Erwinia amylovora). Shows excellent resistance to blossom blight and shoot strikes, significantly reducing chemical input requirements.
Matures mid-to-late season (approximately three weeks after Bartlett). Holds firmly on the tree, develops rich aromatic flavour upon ripening, and stores well in cold conditions for up to three months.
Take Blake's Pride from Planning to Planting
Use Kropigo's free browser tools to model your block density, tree counts, and pollinizer rows, then maintain permanent orchard records row by row.
Pollination Checker
Check Blake's Pride against supported cultivars with compatible flowering and pollination data.
Commercial Block Planner
Calculate high-density tree spacing, row geometry, and establishment costs.
Block Record Keeping
Track pruning, chemical thinning, and harvest tallies block by block from the orchard.