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How to grow pears
- BBC Gardeners' World Magazine
Published: Monday, 21 October 2024 at 3:37 pm
All you need to know about growing your own crop of delicious pears, in our Grow Guide.
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Pears are ornamental trees, bearing attractive spring blossom and gorgeous autumn colour, with the addition of delicious home-grown pears.
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Grown onto rootstocks of varying sizes, pear trees can easily be grown in smaller spaces and containers – look out for dwarf fruit trees, which are suitable for smaller spaces – and don’t require much maintenance. There's also a wonderful range of pear cultivars to grow, offering far more choice and flavour than you can find in a supermarket.
How to grow pears
Grow pears in moist but free-draining soil in full-sun to partial shade. Prune fan- and espalier-trained pears in summer, and standard pears in winter. Mulch annually with well-rotted manure or compost.
Where to plant a pear tree
Ripening pears on branches
For best results, grow pear trees against a south-facing wall or fence, where they'll be protected from frost. Soil should free-draining and tending towards acidic, with a pH of 6.5. Pear trees can be grown as standalone specimens, if space allows, or trained as espaliers or cordons.
Like apple trees, many varieties of pear rely on a pollinating partner from the same group. It’s therefore best to plant two pear trees to ensure they pollinate successfully and to encourage healthy cropping.
How to plant a pear tree
Plant bare-root pear trees when dormant, between November and March, and potted pear trees at other times of year. Dig a square-shaped hole so the roots spread out evenly into the surrounding soil, then top-dress with a generous mulch of well-rotted manure.
How to care for pear trees
Pruning a pear tree in winter
Pear blossom appears in early spring, so watch out for frosts and protect trees with fleece if the forecast predicts a cold snap. Mulch annually in spring and water in dry spells.
Prune pear trees when dormant in midwinter, removing dead, diseased and dying branches to improve the health and productivity of the tree.
In summer, pruning is important for the shape and health of the tree. By taking out branches you improve air circulation and remove any unwanted growth to allow the developing fruits to ripen.
How to harvest pears
Picking a ripe pear from a tree
Harvest pears from late August onwards. It's best to pick them when the fruit is still firm to the touch. Simply cup the individual fruits in your hand and gently twist off. Allow the fruits to ripen in a cool, dark place.
In the video below, Monty Don explains how to tell when a pear is ready to harvest.
How to store pears
Storing pears indoors in crates
As most varieties of pear ripen better off the tree, they'll often store successfully for several months.
Pears can be eaten raw or cooked and there are many tasty ways to prepare them. They go well uncooked with blue cheese or hams, and are delicious hot, especially when stewed with spices in red wine.
Growing pears: problem solving
Pear tree affected by pear rust, with orange-spotted foliage
Pear trees are prone to aphids, caterpillars, codling moth, and pear and cherry lugworm, which will skeletonise the leaves. Trees can also be affected by blossom wilt, pear rust, brown rot, canker and firelight. Other problems include:
- Apple and pear scab
- Apple and pear tree diseases
- Pear leaf blister mite
- Wasp damage on apples and pears
Like all trees, sometimes a pear tree will die due to what seems like no obvious reason. Watch the BBC Gardeners' World clip below to see Monty removing a dead pear tree.
Pear varieties to grow
Pear 'Concorde'
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- Pyrus communis 'Beurre Hardy' – a popular French dessert pear dating back to the early 19th century. It has an excellent flavour and good-textured flesh. It's in Pollination Group 4 and should be grown with a pollination partner for a more reliable crop
- Pyrus communis 'Concorde' – a cross between two classic varieties, 'Conference' and 'Doyenne du Comice', this produces good crops of well-flavoured fruit. The yellow, cream-coloured fruits look similar to 'Conference' pears, but have the flavour of 'Doyenne'. It is well suited to the British climate and is in Flowering Group 4. It is partially self-fertile, but produces more fruit if a pollination partner is grown nearby. Choose other pear trees in the same flowering group
- Pyrus communis 'Conference' RHS AGM – this is one of the most well-known dessert pear varieties, with heavy crops of juicy, sweet pears. 'Conference' is in Pollination Group 3 and should be grown with a pollination partner for a more reliable crop
- Pyrus communis 'Reimer Red' – produces mid-green pears flushed with dark red. It's in Pollination Group 4 and should be grown with a pollination partner for a more reliable crop
- Pyrus communis 'Williams bon Chretien' – one of the oldest English varieties of dessert pear, bearing heavy crops of large, juicy, golden-yellow fruit, from mid to late autumn. It is in Pollination Group 3 and should be grown with a pollination partner for a more reliable crop
Frequently asked questions
Help! My pear tree is badly affected by pear rust Pear rust is a fungal infection that causes orange blotches to form on the leaves and occasionally canker-like patches on the branches. This usually causes no harm to the tree, but large infections may slow overall growth and slightly reduce the pear crop. Removing the leaves may do more harm than good, but remove branches showing signs of canker. Why are the leaves of my pear tree turning black? Brown and black leaves on pear trees are likely caused by fireblight. This is a bacterial infection that affects a number of plants in the apple and pear family, and gives the appearance of the tree having been burned in a fire. You may also spot cankerous sunken patches, shrivelled shoots and wilting blossom. Prune out infected material immdiately, cutting back to healthy wood. Wipe all pruning tools with disinfectant between cuts to avoid spreading the bacteria and making the problem worse. Removing late blossoms before they open can also help. How do I deal with water shoots on pears? Water shoots develop after hard pruning, and can be identified as vigorous, vertical shoots growing from the main stem and pruning stump. They don't flower or bear fruit. Dealing with water shoots takes several years – we recommend following RHS advice on managing water shoots.
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