
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Pears
- ‘Bartlett’, which is the standard choice for pear trees. This tree type is average-size and produces medium to large fruits. These pears ripen to a yellow color. However, this variety is very vulnerable to fire blight.
- ‘Kieffer’, which is resistant to fire blight. This type produces medium fruit and can be used in canning.
- ‘Anjou’, which produces light-green fruit with a sweet flavor. This type is a good choice for late-blooming pears. Good for canning and fresh use. This type can store for up to 6 months with little loss in quality.
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We have a pear tree that was here when we bought the place and had just wonderful large juicy fruit the first 3 years then smaller and smaller and harder and dry.
Nursery had me try several things over last 6 years and fruit no bigger than quarters hard bitter. Tree is about 25’ tall maybe 10’ around at largest spot. What should I try? Or just need to cut it down?
Thanks
Brian
Hi Brian,
Thanks for your challenging question. If you’ve been consulting with a local nursery, I assume you’ve tried all the obvious basics of adjusting nutrition, water, additives, etc. Like the rest of us, pear trees can get a bit persnickety as they age, and it is not uncommon for older trees to “age out” of fruit bearing. But in many cases, they can be rejuvenated over the course of a few years through knowledgeable pruning. If you haven’t already, I’d suggest the next step might be a consult with a local arborist to get an opinion on whether your tree might respond to this approach. In the meantime, here’s some helpful information on bringing back old pear trees, courtesy of the Oregon State University extension service.
I hope this gets you headed in the right direction.
All best,
Joe Bills
Associate Editor
OFA
Should I wash the pears, and if so, when?
We recommend washing the pears just prior to consumption. (of course, you can dust them off before that!)
i bought 2 bartlett at about 7 to 9 feet tall. do i trim before planting?
Is it okay for them to be so tall and lanky?
I'd like to have some good juicy pears but also want to plant this right
Shorter trees (4-6 ft) are preferred for the initial planting, but whether you should prune or not depends more on the tree’s branching structure. We would recommend taking a look at the pruning section of this pear tree guide by the University of Minnesota, which covers a few different situations.
I have a variegated pear tree with three different varieties on it. Will it bear fruit or do I have to plant another in order to have fruit.
I’ve lived in Upstate SC zone 7 for three years and discovered a Bartlett on my property. It’s a small tree, no idea how old, but set fruit for the first time last spring. The fruit were small when I harvested, but I waited one day too long. The night before, I had about 30 pears. The next day, all but 4 had disappeared. So I suppose the best indicator of the time to harvest is to stay up and watch for the squirrels! I knew how to determine if they were ready to pick, but I didn’t know about putting them in the fridge, so my first harvest made for a pretty picture, but the squirrels and eventually the birds got to enjoy them. I’m thrilled to learn I can cross pollinate with an Anjou or Asian. Pruning intimidates me, so I believe I’ll hire a local nursery to prune the Bartlett and properly plant an Anjou or Asian, or both! Thanks again for all the wonderful help.
Am I able to submit a photo of my Pear tree and/or a Pear from the tree somewhere? I need help Identifying it. We bought this property almost 20 years ago and the tree was here long before because it was full grown when we bought the property. It's old and tall and has lots of beautiful Pears on it. Well odd shaped pears.. Are they canning Pears, baking Pears or just eating Pears? I have to say I've never tried them.. Each time I think I've figured out what they are I read something that makes me believe I'm wrong.
Your best bet is to take pics of the tree and the fruit and show them to the folks in a local nursery (or two or three). Or show them to a fruit vendor in a farmer’s market. Or consult your local cooperative extension; you can find it here: https://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-services