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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>Matt Logan</span> Sat, 12/19/2015 - 16:54
I have several mango trees in my backyard orchard and have added a kiefer pear tree. Will the mango trees cross pollinate?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 12/22/2015 - 10:37

For cross-pollination to happen the fruit trees must be from the same species. So a mango tree will not cross-pollinate a pear tree.

 <span>Michal Gatoff</span> Sun, 09/27/2015 - 16:51

I have 2 young kiffer pear trees with lots of great size pears. However they are hard like a rock. I picked few put them in brown begs, picked more and put them in the fridge, picked more and left in room temp. Nothing seams to ripen them. What is the secret? They are 2 years old and i am so delighted to see how many pears i got on them but we can't eat them yet.S hould we leave them to ripen on the tree? Thanks.

 <span>Dan Nuske</span> Mon, 10/03/2016 - 19:50
They should be harvested when rock hard and when tilted they fall off into your hand. Also they should be about a half pound or more when I start picking. In Missouri this is sometime around September. I use a pool skimmer with a trout net on one end to help harvest any fruit trees with fruit on the upper branches. I have had luck picking them and placing them in cardboard fruit boxes that stack and allow some air flow. I try not to let them put weight on each other. As a result the boxes only stack about 3 or 4 high. I put a label on them with the date of harvest. Each week I harvest until complete; about a month. By this time the first harvest is turning yellow, smelling like a pear, and softening up (about 3-4 weeks at 70 degrees). The GOOD thing about kieffers is they don't know how to get dry or mealy, suffer minimal fire blight damage, and require no spraying. The BAD thing to me is the skin is like a toad or reptile (at least in sticky St. Louis). But underneath this skin is heaven. I enjoy them chilled with a knife to peel off some of that skin. Now that's Organic Livin.
<span>Russell R Husted</span> Wed, 02/01/2017 - 13:34
They are actually what I call a winter pear. They will hang onto a tree until quite late without attracting birds until almost to ripe (yes, they, unlike such as the Bartlet, will ripen on the tree) After harvest, if refrigerated in plastic bags, they will get somewhat brown spotted but inside remain tasty and edible pretty much all winter!
<span>Robert Crandall</span> Thu, 10/01/2015 - 12:15
I have the same issue and have had them for 10 years. Pears (European), don't ripen well on the tree. You need to pick them and it is running late now so I wouldn't wait, put them in with apples. Some people say brown paper bags work to help the gas release better and ripen the pears. I find the Kieffers are best for canning but they take about 2 weeks of staying in a cool spot with the apples to eat fresh.
<span>J;Ay Rootlieb</span> Thu, 09/24/2015 - 13:19
I just planted a pear tree. Does it need to be pollinated each year to bear fruit? thanks Jay
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Sun, 09/27/2015 - 09:05

Though there are a few self-fruitful pear varieties, it is best to grow two different varieties for good cross-pollination. Be sure the two varieties are compatible and blossom at the same time so bees can do their work.

 <span>Gchq</span> Thu, 09/10/2015 - 17:54
Late flowing We planted two pear trees and one peach tree last Autumn. They are all green and seem healthy but didn't flower in spring. One of the pear trees (SummerCrisp) has just started to flower now, in mid September. Is this usual, or am I missing something? The area is Northern Nevada Thanks
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Sun, 09/13/2015 - 09:16

In hot dry areas it is not uncommon for fruit trees to take a break during the stress of summer. When the weather starts to moderate they will "wake up" and think its spring and start to blossom. Since there isn't time for them to produce mature fruit before winter, remove any tiny fruits that appear. Hopefully there will be enough buds that were not tricked into blooming left to flower next spring.