How to Grow Pear
Pyrus communis
Pears prefer full sun, fertile, free-draining soil, and a sheltered site. Many cultivars need a pollination partner (some are self-fertile). Train as bush, cordon, espalier, or fan. Winter prune free-standing trees to shape and maintain spurs; summer prune trained forms. Water during fruit swell and thin heavy sets. Harvest when fruits are mature but still firm; most pears ripen off the tree at room temperature for best texture and flavour.
Yearly Lifecycle
Care Essentials
Early spring with a balanced fertiliser. Avoid high-nitrogen feeds which encourage fire blight-susceptible growth.
Watch For
- Fire blight
- Pear midge
- Pear scab
- Pear rust
- Codling moth
Companions
Clover, Nasturtiums, Tansy, Borage
Track your Pear care schedule — pruning, feeding, and seasonal tasks
Start planning freeCare Requirements
☀️ Light
Full sun; sheltered position to protect blossom
Full sun for best cropping. A sheltered, south- or west-facing position protects early blossom from frost. Pears flower earlier than apples and are more frost-sensitive.
💧 Watering
Regular water during fruit swell; avoid drought
Water regularly during fruit swell from late spring to harvest, especially in dry spells. Consistent moisture prevents fruit drop and cracking.
🌱 Fertilizing
Balanced spring feed; avoid excess nitrogen
Apply a balanced fertiliser in early spring. Avoid high-nitrogen feeds which produce soft growth susceptible to fire blight. Mulch with compost.
✂️ Pruning
Winter prune trees; summer prune trained forms
Winter prune free-standing trees to maintain shape and spur systems. Summer prune trained forms (cordons, espaliers) in July-August. Remove water sprouts.
🍂 Mulching
Spring compost mulch around root zone
Mulch the root zone in spring with well-rotted compost, keeping it clear of the trunk. Helps retain moisture during fruit development.
Growing Tips
Plan pollination
Check flowering groups and plant compatible partners unless your variety is reliably self-fertile.
Spur system care
In winter, remove crossing wood and keep a balanced framework; trained forms get a summer trim.
Pick firm, ripen indoors
Lift when the fruit stalk parts easily; finish ripening in a cool room.
Pests & Diseases
Pest Pear Midge
Identification: Fruitlets swell abnormally, then turn black and fall in May–June. Cut open to find small orange-white larvae.
- Pick up and destroy fallen fruitlets before larvae enter the soil
- Cultivate soil beneath trees in winter to expose pupae to birds and frost
- Use horticultural fleece over trees at blossom time
- No effective chemical treatments are currently available to home gardeners
Pest Codling Moth
Identification: Small entry hole in the fruit, often near the eye. Frass (caterpillar droppings) visible inside the fruit at harvest.
- Hang pheromone traps from mid-May to monitor and reduce male moth numbers
- Use corrugated cardboard bands around trunks in summer to trap pupating larvae
- Apply nematode biological control (Steinernema carpocapsae) to soil in autumn
- Spray with a contact insecticide timed to egg hatch (typically late June)
Pest Pear Sucker
Identification: Flattened green or brown nymphs on flower buds and young leaves. Sticky honeydew and sooty mould on foliage.
- Encourage earwigs and anthocorid bugs which are natural predators
- Apply a winter tree wash to reduce overwintering adults
- Spray with a pyrethrin-based insecticide at green cluster bud stage
Disease Pear Scab Venturia pirina
Symptoms: Dark olive-brown blotches on leaves and fruit. Fruit may crack and become misshapen. Severe cases cause early leaf drop.
Treatment: Rake up and destroy fallen leaves in autumn. Prune out scabby shoots in winter.
Prevention: Choose scab-resistant varieties. Prune for an open canopy to improve airflow.
Disease Pear Rust Gymnosporangium sabinae
Symptoms: Bright orange spots on upper leaf surfaces in summer, with swollen orange-brown galls on the underside.
Treatment: Remove and destroy affected leaves. There is no effective fungicide for home gardeners.
Prevention: Remove nearby juniper bushes (the alternate host). Choose less susceptible pear varieties.
Disease Fire Blight Erwinia amylovora
Symptoms: Shoots wilt and turn brown or black as if scorched. Cankers ooze bacterial slime in wet weather.
Treatment: Cut out affected branches at least 60 cm below visible symptoms. Sterilise tools between cuts. Notify APHA if suspected.
Prevention: Avoid high-nitrogen feeds that produce soft growth. Prune in winter. Disinfect tools.
Popular Varieties
Anjou
A winter pear with a squat neck and smooth green skin that does not change colour significantly upon ripening. Has a mild, citrus-like flavour and stores excellently.
Bartlett
The quintessential canning and eating pear, turning from green to yellow as it ripens. Must be harvested while green and ripened off the tree for best texture.
Dessert
Cooking/Perry
Conference
The most widely grown pear in the UK with a long, narrow shape and russet skin. Partially self-fertile, reliable cropper, and stores well. Flesh is sweet and juicy when ripe.
Concorde
A Conference x Doyenne du Comice cross combining the reliability of Conference with the rich flavour of Comice. Compact tree, partially self-fertile.
Doyenne du Comice
Widely regarded as the finest-flavoured dessert pear with buttery, melting flesh and complex sweetness. Needs a sheltered, warm site and a good pollinator.
Beth
An early-season English pear with small to medium yellow-green fruit. Sweet, juicy, and aromatic. Compact tree ideal for smaller gardens. Pick in August.
Beurre Hardy
A vigorous French pear with large, russeted fruit and rich, rose-scented flesh. Hardy and reliable — one of the best for cooler or more exposed gardens.
Rocha
A Portuguese pear with smooth green-yellow skin and sweet, slightly granular flesh. Stores exceptionally well for months. Needs warmth to ripen fully.
Williams Bon Chretien
The classic dessert and canning pear (known as Bartlett in North America). Golden yellow when ripe with musky, honey-sweet flesh. Early season, does not store long.
Packham's Triumph
An Australian pear with large, bumpy green fruit that turns yellow when ripe. Smooth, sweet flesh. Good pollinator and reliable heavy cropper.
Onward
An English early-season pear bred from Doyenne du Comice. Medium-sized yellow-green fruit with sweet, melting flesh. Hardy and compact — good for small gardens.
Gorham
A mid-season American pear with elongated yellow-green fruit and smooth, sweet flesh with a musky aroma. Vigorous tree with good disease resistance.
Log Pear in your garden — track growth, care, and harvests year after year
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