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Growing Pears
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Pears
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Pears
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!
Planting
- Plant pear trees in late winter or early spring.
- You’ll need full sun for best fruit set and fertile, well-drained soil as well as good air circulation.
- If you live outside of the dry western regions, you should choose fire blight–resistant types and rootstocks.
- Plan to plant at least two varieties of pear trees, as they will need to be cross-pollinated to produce fruit. Make sure the varieties are compatible with each other.
- Space standard-size trees 20 to 25 feet apart. Space dwarf trees 12 to 15 feet apart.
- For container-grown trees, remove the plant from its pot and remove any circling roots by laying the root ball on its side and using shears to cut through the roots.
- For grafted trees, position the inside of the curve of the graft union away from the sun when planting.
- Dig a hole that is a few inches deeper and wider than the spread of the roots. Set the tree on top of a small mound of soil in the middle of the hole. Be sure to spread the roots away from the trunk without excessively bending them. Do not add fertilizer or topsoil to the hole.
Care
- Water the young trees well during dry spells to help establish the roots.
- Apply a small amount of fertilizer early in the year. Add ⅛ pound of ammonium nitrate per tree multiplied by the number of years the tree has been set in moderately fertile soil. If you have highly fertile soil, use less fertilizer.
- If the leaves are pale green or yellowish during the summer, use a little more fertilizer the next year.
- If the tree grows more than 12 inches in one season, use less fertilizer the next year.
- Be very careful when applying fertilizer! If you give your trees too much nitrogen, they will become more susceptible to fire blight and also may focus too much energy on producing foliage instead of flowers and fruit.
Pruning Pear Trees
- Prune annually to keep the tree healthy. Generally, prune lightly to keep the trees looking their best and productive.
- For dwarf trees, prune them to a central leader system.
- Standard-size trees can be pruned to either a central leader system or a modified leader system, which is easier to maintain.
- The central leader system features a central trunk with branches that spiral out every 5 to 8 inches, making sure that no branch is directly above another. The training for such a system begins in the early summer of the first year, during which time you should remove any shoots that form within 18 inches of the ground. The end result should resemble a Christmas tree.
- Use spreaders to help shape the branches of the trees. These help the branches to spread outward rather than upward. When the branches are small, you can use clothespins to push the branches away from the main trunk. For bigger branches, use wooden slats with a “V” shape notched into each end.
- Remember to thin the fruit as well, leaving about 6 inches between each cluster of fruit per branch.
- After your trees are established, water them regularly.
Pests/Diseases
- Fire blight
- Pear psylla
- Aphids
- Mites
- Powdery mildew
Harvest/Storage
- Harvest pears when they are mature but still hard. Ripen the pears at room temperature for the best quality fruits.
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Mature pear trees produce a lot of fruit in a short window of time. Be prepared!
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To store pears, pick them when they are fully grown but still very hard. You can keep them in the refrigerator; they should last for about 1 week. You can also keep them in containers in a cool (about 40°F), dark place; they should keep for 1 to 2 months.
- You can also can the pears for longer storage.
Recommended Varieties
- ‘Bartlett’, which is the standard choice for pear trees. This tree type is average-size and produces medium to large fruits. These pears ripen to a yellow color. However, this variety is very vulnerable to fire blight.
- ‘Kieffer’, which is resistant to fire blight. This type produces medium fruit and can be used in canning.
- ‘Anjou’, which produces light-green fruit with a sweet flavor. This type is a good choice for late-blooming pears. Good for canning and fresh use. This type can store for up to 6 months with little loss in quality.
Wit & Wisdom
Pick pears when the fruit has a faint yellow blush but is still green.
Drop peeled pears in cold, lightly salted water, and they won’t turn brown.
Recipes
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Reader Comments
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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!
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?
which pear makes a pair . . .
It all sounds lovely and promising, James—and more than we are qualified or experienced to help with. We suggest that you talk to someone in your area and recommend your local cooperative extension. Click on your state here for locations near you: http://www.almanac.com/search/site/cooperative%20extension The folks at these centers are extremely knowledgeable and well-connected.
best wishes!
pear tree
we don't know much about pear trees. We are learning. We bought a Clapps Favorite Pear 2 years ago. It is growing well, but we need to plant another pear for it to pollinate. I read some varieties won't pollinate with other ones, like Bartlett. What would be a good variety to plant near this one for pollination purposes. Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you!
Pam
Pollination Pointers
Hi, Pam: Bartlett should work just fine for your Clapp’s Favorite, as would Red Sensation, Beurre Bosc, Seckel, or Moonglow. Thanks for asking!
Childhood bartlett pear tree
Was looking into planting a bartlett tree and having the the best pears around. We were the only ones that had a pear tree in the area. We picked them off the tree all summer long and never had a problem with the pears being hard or mealy. In fact, we apparently did everything wrong. But they were the best pears I have ever eaten. Only pears I will ever eat. Have the best flavor. Even the robins came to eat the ones on the very top of the old tree.
No Pears
I have two European Anjou dwarf pear trees. The first year we got them they gave us a nice crop of pears. The next year no pears. Do they produce every other year or is something not right.
end of season pears on trees and frost
Haven't been able to find anything online so far, but I have been slowly picking Bartlett pears, big as my hand, from a tree usually stripped by groundhogs and other greedy creatures. Tree even had fireblight, and I cut back hard to clean wood, so I'm quite delighted with this crop. But tonight it will probably frost, early, and I was hoping to find out whether to pick em too early or will they be unharmed. Too late for answer this time, but nice to know for future.
Well.... ??
Hi, Jeannine: It depends a little bit on the variety and a lot on the depth of the freeze, but in general pears can withstand some cold (a few days of light frost) if you can cover them. Folks often use old bed sheets clothespinned to the branches or even safety pinned to themselves and dropped over/around a small tree like a skirt. But moisture is moisture, and the moisture in a pear is no friend of freezing, by any means. So…. What did you end up doing? What happened? And thanks for asking….
Pear tree
One of my pear trees has 4 new branches growing on it. 2 branches have the same leaves and the other 2 branches have the same leaves of another type of leaf. Neither of these 2 types of new leaves resemble a pear tree leaf. What's the deal with that?
Turning Over a New Leaf
Hi, Trish: Pretty mysterious, but if indeed you have three different types of leaves on the same tree, no doubt this is a reflection of something having to do with your scion’s rootstock and/or some sort of genetic mutation. Another possibility is that the leaves are still too immature to be fully developed and identified, but you sound like you would have recognized this if it were a possibility. Thanks for asking, and keep us posted!
Cross pollination
Most pear trees need a 2nd variety of pear to produce fruit. Is it possible to use a different fruit tree such as an apple or peach instead of a 2nd pear tree for this purpose? I have about a third acre so there is plenty of room but I don't think I need 2 pear trees but would like a pear and an apple. Advice?
pear tree pollination
Sorry, pears will only pollinate pears, apples will only pollinate other apples, and so on. Further, it must be a different variety of the same fruit species within 500 feet of each other. Two trees of the same variety will not pollinate each other. Pears especially need a lot of pollinators (bees) to make sure it all happens!
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