How to Grow Pears: The Complete Guide (2024)

FAQs

How do you grow pears? ›

Plant them in a spot with full sun, good air circulation and well-drained soil. Pear trees prefer deep, fertile soil. They don't do well in sandy soils. Standard pear trees often grow 18 to 20 feet tall and 12 feet wide.

Pear trees require full sun to produce the most fruit. Prune annually to keep the tree healthy, productive and looking its best. It can take 3 to 10 years for trees to begin flowering and producing fruit. Mature pear trees are large and produce a lot of fruit in a short window of time.

It can take three to ten years before the pear seeds you've planted develop into mature pear trees that bear fruit. Keep in mind that the process is lengthy and involves a series of steps—including cold stratification, germination, and planting in the soil—each of which takes a few months and requires patience.

Apple and pear trees come in both cross-pollinating and self-pollinating varieties, and if you choose cross-pollinating, you'll need at least two of the same trees to produce fruit.

Pear Tree Fertilizer: The Right Type of Fertilizer

Pear tree fertilizer should be a balanced mix of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Look for a fertilizer with an NPK ratio where the three numbers are (almost) all the same, such as 10-10-10.

Since pear trees prefer cool weather, it's best to plant young trees during the fall, in late winter, or in early spring, while they're dormant. 1. Choose and prepare the spot. Pear trees need full sun to produce sweet fruit, so pick a spot that gets at least six hours a day.

In general terms each species can only pollinate others of its own kind - apples will only pollinate other apples, pears will only pollinate pears, and so on. Amongst apples there is generally no distinction between crab apples, cider apples, and mainstream apples - they can all potentially cross-pollinate each other.

Pears are hardy and will grow well in many areas, but they do need a little cossetting in cooler regions. The flowers appear early and are easily damaged by frost so it's best to grow them somewhere sunny and sheltered, but not in a low-lying area that could become a frost pocket.

Weather Conditions

The weather plays a big role in the development of your pear tree's fruit. A winter that's too mild will draw out the blossoming stage and possibly even stunt their growth. A spring that doesn't get warm enough can also make it so that fruit can't grow properly.

If you want to grow fruit trees fast, give them mulch, fertilizer and water and don't let the grass fight with them for resources.

How tall should a pear tree be? ›

*Some fruit trees, like pears, have more of a conical (narrow but tall) growth habit – these trees naturally won't have much of a wide spread: Dwarf pear trees will be 8-10 feet tall and spread about 6-7 feet wide; Standard pear trees will be 18-20 feet tall and 12-13 feet wide.

Give your tree enough water to soak the ground all around the roots. It's important to note that even if you're in the midst of a brown-lawn drought, you don't want to water too much. Once every 10 days or two weeks is plenty. Worse than dry, thirsty roots is waterlogged, drowning roots.

Soil Prep for Your Pear Tree

First, you will need to dig a hole three times the width of the size of the pot, and just as deep as the root ball.

Apples and pears must be cross pollinated. Therefore, you must plant two different varieties if you want to produce fruit. There are also varieties that produce sterile pollen and need to be planted with at least two other varieties.

Growing a pear tree from seed is possible, isn't difficult and can be very rewarding if you have the patience as it takes time and care for a fruit tree to bloom.

Store-bought pears will work fine. Using a paring knife, cut a pear in half. Cut the halves into quarters so you can easily access the seeds in the core. Dig out the seeds with a spoon or with your finger.

Pear trees are deciduous and usually grow to about 12m, though some can reach up to 20m. The crown of the tree is domed and the branches can have spiny twigs. The bark is grey-brown and broken into small square shapes. Look out for: the grey-brown bark which has a square-shaped pattern.