Propagating an old pear tree

Someone wants me to propagate this old, family pear tree. It is her grandmother’s.  I haven’t seen it in person yet. I can’t tell that it’s ever been grafted, so it could be a unique variety. What are the options since it is leafed out already? If it was winter, I’d buy rootstocks and graft. I am not sure if she will still have access to it next winter.  Could rooting cuttings work? Maybe bud grafting?

Not sure if it's too late to snip some twigs and apply rooting hormone. My wife did that this year and out of 20 or so, 5 are still alive and (pretty sure) have taken root. Don't know if that's a normal rate, but it's what we're seeing.

I think other options might be that on-tree rooting method or grafting, neither of which I've tried.

Pear trees are very easy to propagate from cuttings..   I use about an 8in cutting from tip of a young branch.  remove all lower leaves and place into perlite and coco coir  50-50.   . Keep moist for several weeks till roots start grow out from bottom. ( I use clear plastic cups with a few holes in bottom).  You will probably get over a 50% success rate.

Ralph Sluder wrote:Pear trees are very easy to propagate from cuttings..   I use about an 8in cutting from tip of a young branch.  remove all lower leaves and place into perlite and coco coir  50-50.   . Keep moist for several weeks till roots start grow out from bottom. ( I use clear plastic cups with a few holes in bottom).  You will probably get over a 50% success rate.

When you say all of the lower leafs, how much is usually left at the end? We had a pretty bad success rate comparatively.

I seem to remember someone sharing his success grafting into mid summer using a whip and tongue graft and  having good luck with it. I doubt you'd have a spare pear rootstock but if you're worried about saving the tree you could graft a few scions from the donor tree to any pear tree using that "Whip and Tongue" graft. In mid summer it's quite common to reproduce trees with a "bud graft". You can find directions by googling the terms. My first year grafting I had 100% success with the whip and tongue graft. I've tried bud grafting and never got one to take.

How about air layering?

That lower branch on the tree looks like an ideal candidate for regular layering, where the branch is bent down to the ground and buried with soil, leaving the tip sticking up out the other end. You can also gently break the branch at the point that is buried under the soil, which will also encourage it to root even more. It's also the perfect time of year to do this. This Fall it can be cut back at the point it enters the soil, and then dug up and replanted as a new pear tree! Good luck with the propagation!

Here's a picture of what it looks like.

When you say all of the lower leafs, how much is usually left at the end? We had a pretty bad success rate comparatively.

 I just plant 2-3 nodes under the media and leave maybe 2 nodes above. leave some smallish leaves on the growing tip.
Pears tend to strike relatively easy.  I have found that about 1/2 never put enough roots out before growing too much leaves. Still, 50% is not that bad.  make sure you use 1 year old or less growth.  If you wait for winter you can use older wood with even better success rates but it looks like you have plenty of growing branches on that tree to work with.
air layering will also work like others have said but that's a lot more work for a tree that strikes so easily.  I prefer to pop some sticks into the dirt and keep moist.