Pear Trees

About

Choosing Pear Trees This section contains many pear varieties, from sweet or rosewater flavoured eating pears to firm cooking pears. For sweetness, Beth is an excellent variety, whilst for hints of rosewater then Beurre Hardy and Conference are good choices. Black Worcester is excellent for cooking. For colourful red pears, choose Red Williams. Please note we stock ornamental Pyrus trees if you want a purely ornamental tree. The geographical location and planting site may impact your choice of variety and rootstock. Whilst most neighbourhoods have other pear trees that will be used by insects for pollination, if you live in a remote location and are only planting one pear tree then we recommend a self-fertile variety or family pear tree. Pear trees need a sunny position, but if full sun cannot be provided then Williams Bon Chretien is your best bet for producing fruit. The final height and spread depends on a combination of the variety and the rootstock it is grafted onto, so we offer most varieties on a choice of rootstocks. If space is limited, a dwarf rootstock such as Quince C is recommended. Growing Pear Trees Choose a sunny location protected from strong winds to plant your pear tree. If planting multiple pear trees, space them out according to their rootstock. A semi-vigorous Quince A rootstock requires 3 metres between trees, whereas a dwarf Quince C rootstock only requires 2 metres. A square shaped planting hole will help prevent the root spiraling round and constricting each other. Harvesting Pear Trees As pears ripen from the inside, you cannot tell from the skin if they are ready to eat or not. Instead, use the ‘check the neck’ technique. Gently squeeze the neck of the pear and if it yields it is ready to eat. If not, leave a little longer and check again in a day or so. Pears ripen at room temperature but will ripen even faster when placed next to bananas in a fruit bowl. History & Uses of Pear Trees The name pear is thought to date back to the Aram