As early as mid-spring the branches fill with little white flowers, sometimes pink, that bees crowd around before the fruit sets. The pear tree (Pyrus communis) is the most common fruit tree in many orchards and can live for decades; give it full sun and well-drained ground, prune it every year, and it will repay you with a better harvest.
| Name | Pyrus cummunis |
|---|---|
| Family | Rosaceae |
| Type | deciduous fruit tree |
| Height | 16 to 50 feet (5 to 15 meters) |
| Exposure | full sun |
| Soil | ordinary |
| Blooming | spring |
| Harvest | summer-fall (species) |
| Lifespan | 30-80 years |
Pruning and planting are all practices that, if well performed, will increase pear harvest.
This fruit tree, like most trees, is best planted in fall to favor root development before winter.
If you’re planning on planting in spring or in summer, provide for more regular watering, especially at the beginning.
Once planted, caring for a pear tree is quite easy, and the only real danger to consider are the various fungus that require special treatment (see the paragraph below about diseases).
In order to guide the tree into producing many beautiful pears, it is important to perform a fruit-inducing pruning before spring growth has started.
When should pears be harvested? This is a common question, because it is sometimes difficult to determine the best moment.
Know that you should not just wait for them to fall to harvest.
Actually, if you twist them a quarter of a turn and that they detach without needing any further effort, then you know the right time to harvest the pears has come.
Once the pears have been collected, the goal now is to store them in the best possible environment to keep them as long as possible.
Pear varieties differ mainly in when the fruit is ready, whether it is for eating fresh or for cooking, and how easily the tree crops in a garden. The table below sets out the kinds most often sold in garden centres and mainstream catalogues.
| Variety | Picking season | Main use | Notable trait |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conference | Early autumn | Dessert | Reliable cropper, partly self-fertile |
| Concorde | Autumn | Dessert | Compact, heavy cropping, good for small gardens |
| Onward | Late summer | Dessert | Rich flavour, eat straight from the tree |
| Black Worcester | Late autumn | Cooking | Old hard pear, needs long cooking |
| Beurré Hardy | Early autumn | Dessert | Vigorous, russeted fruit, good disease tolerance |
| Louise Bonne of Jersey | Early autumn | Dessert | Flushed red skin, good trained on a wall |
| Williams’ Bon Chrétien (Bartlett) | Late summer | Dessert and bottling | Classic aromatic pear, does not keep long |
| Doyenné du Comice | Mid to late autumn | Dessert | Finest flavour, wants a warm sheltered spot |
| Beth | Late summer | Dessert | Small tree, fruits young |
| Catillac | Late autumn | Cooking | Large fruit, stores for months |
| Packham’s Triumph | Autumn | Dessert | Green skin, keeps well in store |
| Beurré Bosc | Autumn | Dessert and baking | Long-necked russet fruit, holds shape when cooked |
| Anjou | Autumn | Dessert | Squat green fruit, long keeping |
| Seckel | Early autumn | Dessert and preserving | Very small, sugary fruit; fireblight tolerant |
| Moonglow | Late summer | Dessert | Soft flesh, bred for fireblight resistance |
Pear trees, like most fruit trees, are vulnerable to several common diseases, especially fungus.
One of the most common pear tree diseases is scab.
If a scab infection appears at the end of the fruiting cycle, damage is limited. Perhaps only a slight discoloration of the pears may be observed. The harvest is not lost, but it is less sure that pears will keep for long.
However, if scab appears early in the season, it is recommend to treat it in order to stop the spread of the disease. An early onslaught of scab may hinder pear development and compromise the harvest.
Another common infection of pear trees is European brown rot, where Monilinia fungus is active. This fungus can cause extensive damage and it is preferable to prevent it altogether.
If you observe that the leaves of your pear tree become sticky and roll up, you are certainly faced with an onset of aphids or scale insects.
Most trouble on a pear tree announces itself on the leaves or the fruit. Use the signs below to name the problem before you reach for a treatment.
| Problem | What you see | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Scab | Slight discoloration of the pears late in the season; early attacks hinder fruit development | Fermented stinging nettle tea from bud break, or Bordeaux mixture; gather and destroy fallen leaves |
| European brown rot | Rotting pears caused by the Monilinia fungus, often extensive damage | Same treatments as for scab, plus fermented horsetail tea |
| Aphids and scale insects | Leaves become sticky and roll up | Treat the insects, set pheromone traps, wrap a sticky glue collar around the trunk |
| Powdery mildew | White velvet covers leaves | Organic mildew protection |
| Codling moth (fruit worm) | Brown stains on leaves and fruits | Treat as for the fruit fly or codling moth |
| Rust | Brownish-orange lesions on the underside of leaves | Treat as for rust on roses |
Whatever the treatment, do not spray if you are only a few weeks away from harvest.
Pear trees, famous for their long lifespan (sometimes nearly 200 years), are trees native to Europe and Asia.
Usually of an average size, some specimens are known to reach up to 50 feet (15 meters).
Pear trees bloom as soon as mid-spring, and produce marvelous little white flowers, sometimes pink, that bees are drawn to in spring.
It can also be found in the wild, in our garden as , or in large orchards for commercial pear production.
During planting, mulch the foot of your tree to protect it from from freezing.
Repeat this operation every year, you’ll avoid both weed growth and using products that are toxic for the pears you’ll be eating!
