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How to Grow Pears: The Complete Guide

a pile of green pear fruits
Botanical Name
Pyrus
Grown as
Perennial
USDA Zones
3a
3b
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
10a
10b
Toxicity
Toxic to Dogs and Cats
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Water Needs
Moderate
Height
10–20 feet
Spread
6-10 feet
Soil pH
Acidic
Neutral
Bloom Time
Summer
Fall
Flower Color
White
Special Features
Container-Friendly
Fall Color
Attracts Pollinators
Attracts Songbirds
Resilience
Cold Hardy
Heat-Tolerant
Plant Type
Fruit
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Biting into a juicy pear is one of life’s joys. Growing pears is generally easier than growing apples, as they have fewer pest and disease issues. They are easy to fit into small yard spaces, too! Learn more about planting pear trees in your backyard.

When growing pears, note that two cultivars are generally needed for successful pollination and fruit set. Most pear trees are not self-pollinating. You can also grow pears in containers—and plant them at any time of the year. Make sure you purchase pears specifically bred for containers.

Be aware that pears can take a few years or more to begin flowering and bear fruit. But once they start producing, pear trees are prolific and long-lasting!

There are many different types of pears; some are best eaten raw, and some are best for cooking. Learn more about pear varieties in this guide!

Planting

  • Plant pear trees in early spring. Order bare root plants in midwinter so that they arrive in time.
  • You’ll need full sun for the best fruit set, fertile, well-draining soil, and good air circulation.
  • If you live in 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.

Check out our video to learn more about how to plant a bare–rooted fruit tree. 

Growing

  • Water the young trees well during dry spells to help establish the roots.
  • Apply a small amount of fertilizer early in the year. Add 1/8-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 following 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 when 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.

Harvesting

  • Harvest pears when they are mature but still hard. Ripen the pears at room temperature for the best quality fruits.
  • Mature pear trees produce a lot of fruit in a short window of time. Be prepared!
  • 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.

Pests and Problems

Types

  • ‘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 and 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.

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Pam Ogan</span> Fri, 02/10/2017 - 18:29
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
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 02/13/2017 - 10:50

Hi, Pam: Bartlett should work just fine for your Clapp's Favorite, as would Red Sensation, Beurre Bosc, Seckel, or Moonglow. Thanks for asking!

 <span>Cynthia</span> Sun, 01/22/2017 - 07:30
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.
<span>Lc</span> Tue, 11/29/2016 - 16:07
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.
<span>Jeannine</span> Thu, 10/20/2016 - 23:31
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.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 10/21/2016 - 14:45

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....

 <span>Trish</span> Sun, 10/09/2016 - 15:39
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?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Wed, 10/12/2016 - 09:54

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!

 <span>Jessica Birmingham</span> Tue, 09/06/2016 - 12:06
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?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Wed, 09/07/2016 - 22:01

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!