Biting into a juicy pear is one of the joys of the season. See how to plant, grow, and harvest pears in your own backyard. They are easy to fit into small yard spaces and attractive and require very little care once established.
Growing pears is generally easier than growing apples, as they have less pest and disease issues.
Two cultivars are generally needed for successful pollination and fruit set. Most pear trees are not self-pollinating.
There are many different types of pears; some are best eaten raw and some are best for cooking. See more below.
You can also grow pears in containers—and plant at any time of the year. Make sure you purchase pears specifically bred for containers.
Be aware that pears can take from 3 to 10 years to begin flowering and bear fruit.
Once they start producing, pear trees are prolific and long-lasting!
Reader Comments
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What kind of Pear Tree do I have?
Am I able to submit a photo of my Pear tree and/or a Pear from the tree somewhere? I need help Identifying it. We bought this property almost 20 years ago and the tree was here long before because it was full grown when we bought the property. It's old and tall and has lots of beautiful Pears on it. Well odd shaped pears.. Are they canning Pears, baking Pears or just eating Pears? I have to say I've never tried them.. Each time I think I've figured out what they are I read something that makes me believe I'm wrong.
identifying the variety
Your best bet is to take pics of the tree and the fruit and show them to the folks in a local nursery (or two or three). Or show them to a fruit vendor in a farmer’s market. Or consult your local cooperative extension; you can find it here: https://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-services
Pears
Your article on Pears was very interesting. How do we deal with the most outstanding problem. Squirrels Every year like clock work they strike the week of the fourth of July. I had only about 200 . In six days all gone. I bought 3 bottles of dear and rodent spray and may help with dear , but worthless when it comes to squirrels. Now I am out 36.0 dollars. Do you know of a spray to keep them away from the pears ?
the scourge of squirrels
Join the club; squirrels devastate peach crops, too.
Our best deterrents are here https://www.almanac.com/pest/squirrels Read the comments at the bottom of the page, too. You might glean a solution there.
Pear trees
We bought 2 pear trees about 6 -7 years ago. Sorry to admit can't find their original tags. One never blossoms and the other smaller one has had great blossoms this year. I have pruned them well and add fertilizer early spring. The smaller one now has a wonderful amount of pears this year which I have culled back as suggested. 3 years ago the smaller started showing fruit but would fall off. Last year it had only 70 small fruit. The rest fell off. But this year the tree is looking good and strong. Pears are now about the size of an xtra large egg. Heavy branches. Questions: Should I expect this tree to be productive going forward and what is wrong with my bigger tree? They are about 15 feet apart.
what to expect
We predict a lot of things (weather, sunrise, best days, etc.) but pear harvest is beyond our ken. Your best bet is to consult the nursery from whom you purchased the trees (or another, if it’s not available). You could also inquire of your local cooperative extension; you can find it here https://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-services
Pears Falling Off
My Comice pear tree is 5 years old, it has been blossoming for the past 3 years but it never hold the pears, they keep falling off. The Seckel tree which is approximately 10 feet away produces very well. Please help. Thanks
About Pears
So much information and I'm off to buy 2 pear trees.
Our pear tree has many small
Our pear tree has many small pears starting to form. There are not bugs or problems with the tree. Do we need to spray it anyway and prun the tree? The tree is about one year. Need help, first time for us with pears
spraying pear trees
In early spring, before bud break, you can spray. Never spray after bud break and during bloom. (You can spray three times a year: Thanksgiving, New Year, around Valentine’s Day before bud break.) There are two types of dormant oils: Organic dormant oil for soft-bodied insects and a Fungicide if you wish. Spray at night or on cold days without wind before bees are out flying around. Talk to your local garden center or county cooperative extension about what’s approved in your local area.
pear tree
Our pear tree has many small pears starting to form. There are not bugs or problems with the tree. Do we need to spray it anyway and with what? Need help, first time for us with pears. thank you
How and when to harvest pears
I now realize I have a Conference pear tree and a Pyrus Clapps Favourite pear tree. Cannot find any information on how and when it's best to harvest the fruit. The Clapps Favourite is laden down with fruit .
Advice asap would be much appreciated
Pear tree's shallow root system kills new grass
Hi,
I have 2 pear trees in my backyard. We bought them from a local nursery when they were about 5, 6 feet. It's been at least about 10 years since planted. This year we saw a thick root protruding from the grass with a smaller pear tree growing from this root?! I cut down this small tree -thought it comes from a seed of a pear fruit itself, but then found out is came from this root? Worse yet, the entire area between the 2 tree that had new sods 2 years ago, now with dead grass, and the soil is dry and compacted.
Are the pear trees to blame for the dead grass, they were new sod laid professionally with 4" of new soil just 2 years ago, was OK last year, now the grass are completely dead!
What can I do, kill the tree, replace with others with deep roots?
Thanks!
Ap-pear-ant Trouble
Hi, David: Thanks for this interesting and complicated question. Some types of pears–especially Bradfords–are well known for their prodigious, never-ending, and impossible-to-eliminate suckers, or vertical upshoots from their roots. The only thing you can do with these is cut them off as far down as possible, which you have done. We think that you seem to be asking whether, basically, the pear trees are sucking most or all of the moisture out of your soil and leaving none for the grass, thus killing it. While it’s true that some pear trees can and do have extensive (and shallow) root systems, it is unlikely that they in and of themselves are the cause of your grass problems. Perhaps this is a case of some sort of soil deficiency (whether depth or nutrients), combined with climatic dryness? Another cause for this might be some sort of disease/pest in the grass. And, although unlikely, has the grass become too shaded by these or other trees? Our guess is that this is simply a question of watering. Thanks again, and good luck!
Growing pears from seed.
One day while busily munching a lovely Bosc Pear, I thought, wonder if I could germinate/grow a tree from these seeds. I placed the seeds on the window sill & forgot all about them. I rediscovered them while dusting. It was late winter/early spring. Ground firmly frozen. Since I have a large, round 25 gallon Rubbermaid container used to grow anything from tomatoes to rhubarb (Rhubarb was occupying the container for a few years) I decide to scrape back a bit of earth under the straw and plant the seeds. Long & short of it the all 6 seeds sprouted come true spring. Rhubarb didn't make it due to multiple thaws and freezes. When seedlings were approximately 2-3" I gently dug them up to evenly space around the container. Much to my dismay I broke one. Very sad about that. Well the others are doing great. The seedlings range from 9- 16". Will these potential trees be bosc? I plan on keeping 1 or 2. Family & friends want the others. Its like having kittens lol. Will I need another pollinator? If; as I understand it, these seeds are most likely as a result of Bartlett/bosc cross pollination will they be self fertile? Will they be sterile? I plan to plant in a small space using a ceramic or galvanized pipe (probably 18") to contain the root ball & encourage the roots to go down and not out. I also plan to cordon prune up against a fence in full morning & early afternoon sunlight. My Zone is 5 to 5b. I already have an Espalier Apple tree across the yard that doesn't get as much light but regularly gives me 300+ apples a season. It is almost directly opposite the proposed pear site. I have read & digested a lot of information from your other replies. It has been very helpful. My situations varies because the origin of my seedling is not commercial. I am very excited about this endeavor. Any help you might provide would be tremendous. I got my love of gardening from my father who was a horticulturist. He was terrific with trees and did amazing graphing. His graphs always worked. I don't have such good luck with mine; though, I do have some success. If needed I could take a cutting from my in-laws tree(one of those multi tree varieties which includes Bartlette) to graph to my Bosc when it is the appropriate size provided it makes it there. Thanks so much. Forgive my rambling...I'm just so excited. :) Dad gave me that Rubbermaid container so I could grow tomatoes...another of his specialities.
Seed Color
Is seed color not an indication of when pears should be picked? I have pears (seckel, conference) that easily separate from the tree, but the seeds are green. Same question for Asian pears. Is it just apples that you wait until the seeds turn brown before you pick them?
when to pick pears
We are not familiar with the seed-color theory of when to pick pears but most of the experts we consulted recommend picking pears before they are ripe—specifically “when they are slightly immature”—so they will finish ripening off the tree. The general rule of thumb is that while still on the tree, ready-to-ripen pears will usually detach when “tilted” to a horizontal position from their usual vertical hanging position.
We hope this helps!
anjou pears
I read there is a cooling process of 2 to 6 wks At what tempature?
cooling requirements for pears
You raise a good point. Pears do not ripen on the tree; they ripen from the inside out, so that the center is mushy by the time the outside flesh is ready. Commercial pear growers will store their harvested pears at a cool temperature (30 to 31°F) before considered them fully ripened for selling and eating. For fruit harvested at the earliest maturity, Bartlett and Bosc will typically need cold storage for approximately 14 days, Comice 30 days, and Anjou at least 60 days. Actual times can vary somewhat from year to year.
Without this chilling process, a mature picked pear will just sit and sit and eventually decompose without ever ripening. The cold temperatures stimulates pear to internally produce their own ethylene gas which causes the ripening process.
However, you can also ripen pears by putting them in a paper bag as they’ll give off ethylene and ripen themselves. Some folks say add a ripe banana or an apple which give off even more ethylene gas. Expose Anjou pears to ethylene for 4 to 6 days and you may be able to eliminate the chilling process.
When to harvest pears?
I have a pears tree, we think it is a bartlett but really aren't sure. Every year when we pick the pears the are bad in the middle but look perfect outside. I read online that pears need to ripen off the tree but I have no idea when to start picking them. I am in some 5 in Pennsylvania. The only thing we have established is that October is way too late to pick them. Any advice or suggestions for a time to pick the pears would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
when to pick
I want to pick them when ready. Do I need to be concerned with a hard frost before picking?
No fruit
Hi, I was wonder if you have any suggestions for me. My pear tree is about 15 ft high, it used to produce too much fruit for us. Then last year it did not produce a single fruit, this year they made like half inch fruits and then they all fell off the tree. I've noticed rust spots in all the leaves. What should I do?
pear doesn't bear
A common reason that fruit trees fail to bear fruit is the lack of pollinator/pollination.
Another is excessive vigor: trees spend all their energy growing, not producing fruit because they have been over-fertilized (especially too heavy on the nitrogen) and too heavily pruned.
A late-season frost could be the cause of lack of fruit production. Flowers are very sensitive to temps; temps below 29 degrees F will prevent fruit formation. Even a very cold (minus 15 degrees F) winter spell can deter fruit formation.
Rust spots on/in the leaves is a signs of rust fungus (Gymnosporangium sabinae). Is your tree near a juniper tree (even one on a neighbor’s property)? This fungus needs both pear and juniper to survive; each are hosts. Separation recommendations range from 100 to 1000 feet; it’s that wide spread because it’s that little understood! Apparently care involves elimination of the galls/swellings on any/all juniper hosts before April 1—but the pear may have branch or twig galls as well that harbor the fungus through the winter.
This condition may be something you want to consult a tree expert about.
Bartlett Pear
Hi, I have a Bartlett Pear about 25-30 years old. Got out of hand cut back about 1/3. So far so good usually fruits so we shall see, did get flowers. 2 questions. What is best general spray to use. And you say you need 2 pear trees to pollinate. We only have one, except for many Bradford pears. Also have apple, peach and cherry which I spray with Biodine, which says not for pears. Thanks!
Bartlett pear care
Bartlett pear trees are partially self-fertile; they perform better with a pollination partner of a different variety nearby. d’Anjou, Bosc, and Comice are good partners. It’s not clear what you mean re the Bradford pears. Whatever luck you have had may be due to the presence of the other fruit trees; we can not confirm that at this time and you might consider consulting your local cooperative extension (see here http://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-services ) or a local nursery.
BONIDE is the spray to which you refer (Biodine is something else), and it appears from the label that it should not be used on pears, as you suggest; pear trees are not listed on the label. It appears from our research that pears require frequent spraying of organic oils. You can see a proposed schedule here: https://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource005256_Rep7402.pdf (This is from the University of New Hampshire cooperative extension service. Using the link above you can find the service nearest you and see if they suggest other options for your area.)
Ornimental pear pollinators?
Thank you for responding. I planted a Bartlett pear per your advice. Both pear tress are about 50 feet apart. Is that close enough for pollination? When does the fruit typically ripen in zone 6b? Do I need to pull and ripen fruit off the tree?
More pear information
Many sources say that the two standard-size pear trees that bloom at the same time should be within a 50-foot distance for pollination. Dwarf trees are closer (about 15 to 20 feet). Ayres pears, which are for Zones 6 to 8, ripen late July to early August. Pears don’t ripen on the tree! They need to be picked before ripening or they’ll be mealy. It’s a bit of an art to know when to pick pears. The best way to tell if a pear is ready to harvest is by taking the fruit in your hand and tilting it horizontally (as opposed to its natural vertical hanging position). The mature fruit will easily come away from the branch at this angle . If it is not yet ready for picking, it will hold on to the branch.
Ornimental pear pollinators?
Last year I planted an ayers semi dwarf pear tree in my backyard. We have ornimental aristocrat pear trees lining our sidewalk outside our yard. Will these ornimentals pollinate the ayers? Or do I need to plant another fruit bearing pear tree? If so, what type is best to plant to assure pollination with the auers?
We love the Ayres pear. Their
We love the Ayres pear. Their fruit has a lovely smooth and very sweet flavor. The blooms are partially self-pollinating, but better crops will develop pollinating with another high chill variety like Bartlett or Blake’s Pride. In terms of your ornamental Asian pear, the question is whether the bloom time is overlapping. Generally, Asian pears are early bloomers and European pears are mid-season bloomers. Btw, those Asian pears lining your sidewalk are invasives and we’d discourage new plantings of this tree: http://mc-iris.org/callery-pear—a-bad-bad-plant-with-pretty-flowers.html
Pear Tree Advise
I currently have Simi Ayers, Bartlett, Keifer and Moon Glow trees. One of them blooms much earlier than the other. As in mid Feb. Flowers are gone and it's in full leaf by the time the other trees wake up. My chart says it's my Kiefer but my chart must be wrong. It must be the Bartlett but I'm not sure. Any thought about a very early blooming tree that I don't already have that I can use as a pollinator for whoever the early one is?
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