Gardening Articles: Edibles :: Fruit & Nut Trees
Pear Essentials
by National Gardening Association Editors
Planning
- Choose fire blight-resistant varieties and rootstocks, especially in areas outside dry western regions.
- Most varieties will start to bear significant harvests after 5 to 6 years.
- Plant at least two different varieties for cross-pollination.
Preparation
- Choose a site with full sun, moderate fertility, and good air circulation and water drainage.
- Pears will do well in a wide range of soil types.
Planting
- Space standard-size trees 20 to 25 feet apart; space dwarf trees 12 to 15 feet apart.
Care
- Pears do best with a small amount of fertilizer early in the year. Heavy doses of nitrogen will make the tree more vulnerable to fire blight.
- Use spreaders to encourage horizontal branching and earlier fruiting spurs.
- See our article Fruit Pests and Diseases for controls of common pear pests such as pear psylla, codling moth, plum curculios, and fire blight.
Harvesting
- Don't let pears ripen on the tree. Harvest them when they reach a mature size but are still hard.
- Early pears will ripen at room temperature in a few days to a week. Storage varieties will keep 1 to 2 months or more in a cool (40° F), dark place.
