Can I Graft an Apple to a Pear?

Most fruit trees are grafted rather than seed-grown.

While it is possible to graft an apple to a pear, it's not recommended. Grafting two species is a tricky business, and even successful grafts may be brittle or weak, eventually breaking under the weight of ripening fruit.

Genetics

Fruiting pears and apples are from the Rosaceae family. Because of this close relationship, grafts between apples and pears are more likely to succeed than between more distant relations, such as apples and cherries.

Timing

Graft your trees before the tree breaks free of its winter dormancy, just as the buds begin to swell. The ideal time for much of North America is in April, but monitor your trees -- a single orchard may have multiple micro-climates, and different pear and apple cultivars bloom slightly ahead or behind each other.

Concerns

Interspecies grafted trees are usually short-lived.

Grafted branches keep their own genetic characteristics, and the fast-growing, aggressive branch of an apple may overwhelm a moderate-growing pear. Grafting sites between the species may be weak and deteriorate over the following years, breaking in harsh weather or ever-increasing weight. If you choose to keep both apple and pear growing as one tree, monitor the grafting sites and prune as necessary.

References

• University of Missouri Extension; Grafting; Ray R. Rothenberger, et al.; December 2008
• University of Minnesota Extension; Grafting and Budding Fruit Trees; 2009
• "Top-Working and Bridge-Grafting Fruit Trees"; G.H. Oberly; 1974

Resources

• Wayne's Word; Fruits of the Rose, Olive, Avocado & Mahagany Families; W.P. Armstrong; 2009