5 steps to planting perfect pears

Pears — which can be used for fresh desserts, cooking, or canning — are as easy to grow as apples. Follow these five steps to get the best results out of your pear-planting efforts.

• In cold climates, because they blossom earlier, pears are more liable to injury by late spring frosts
• The trees will do best if planted in a sunny position, sheltered from cold winds
• Being less tolerant than apple trees of dry conditions at their roots, pear trees prefer a deep, loamy soil that will keep its moisture in summer
• Like apples, they do not grow well on or near a seacoast because of damage from salt-laden winds, and should not be planted close to roads salted in winter
• Pear trees can be trained to the same forms as apple trees
• An average family should get as many pears as it needs from no more than four dwarf trees (three fans, three espaliers, six dwarf pyramids, or eight cordons)

Except 'Kieffer', all the varieties listed below are considered to be dessert pears because they are sweet and juicy. Other than the variety 'Seckel', they are all of good size.

Early season

• Clapp's Favourite: All areas. Fruits heavily, every year
• Harrow Delight: All areas. Yellowish green, blight resistant
• Moonglow: All areas. A blight-resistant Bartlett
• Summercrisp: All areas. Good flavour, stores well

Midseason

• Bartlett: All areas. High-quality fruit. Easy to grow, but blight susceptible
• Bosc: All areas. A much-grown variety
• Harvest Queen: All areas. Do not use Bartlett as a pollinator
• Patten: All areas. Very hardy, excellent taste
• Ure: North. Extra hardy, good for cooking

Late  season

• Anjou: All areas. Widely grown by home gardeners
• Highland: All areas. Sweet and juicy, blight susceptible
• Kieffer: Warm regions. Medium-sized fruit, need care to store well. Blight resistant
• Orient: West Coast. Heavy cropper, very blight resistant
• Seckel: All areas. Small, sweet fruit, blight resistant

• Only one or two varieties are tip bearers. At least two varieties must be grown for cross-pollination
• Apart from the variety 'Duchess', which is self-pollinating, pears must have a pollination partner in order to set fruit
• To ensure the pollination of all the other kinds, three or more varieties should be planted near one another, or three different varieties can be grafted on one rootstock to make, in effect, a self-pollinating tree
• Some nurseries offer pears that are grafted on dwarfing rootstock
• The trees grown on dwarfing rootstocks are preferred by most home gardeners

• Overfertilizing pears can lead to fire blight problems, so fertilize trees only if growth seems sluggish (less than 30 centimetres or 12 inches of new growth yearly)
• If needed, apply compost (not manure) in the spring, spreading it across the entire root zone
• There is some natural fall of fruit in early summer, but dry, poor soil can cause an entire crop to drop

• The time of picking is critical. Pears should not be allowed to ripen fully on the tree. If this happens, they will become soft and mealy inside
• Harvest early varieties by cutting the stalk when the fruit is mature but still hard — before it will twist easily from the stalk by hand
• Pick mid-season and late pears as soon as they will part easily from the tree after a gentle lifting and twisting motion
• After picking, place the pears, not touching, in a single layer on a shelf in a cool room
• Inspect pears regularly and remove fruit that shows signs of rot
• To finish ripening, place the fruits in a warm room at about 18°C (64°F) for two or three days. If properly stored, they should keep well for several months. Use the small fruits first

Rich in antioxidants and fibre, pears pack a powerful nutritional punch. To enjoy the fresh-picked flavour of your very own pears, follow these five steps for growing success.