Pear

1. 1

   Pick a rootstock for your space

   Quince C (most dwarfing): 2–3 m tree, suitable for cordons, espaliers, fans, and small gardens. Needs permanent staking. Quince A (semi-vigorous): 3–4 m bush tree, the standard garden pear. Pear seedling (vigorous): 5–8 m full-size tree, only for orchards and large gardens. Most garden centres sell on Quince A; specialist nurseries (Blackmoor, Bernwode, Keepers) offer the full range.

2. 2

   Choose Conference if you only plant one

   Conference is the UK's safest pear — partially self-fertile, reliable cropper, takes light shade, stores 1–2 months, classic flavour. Crops well as a single tree (heavier with a pollination partner). Other reliable UK varieties: Doyenne du Comice (peak flavour, demanding), Williams' Bon Chretien (early, peeling pear), Beth (compact, very early). Beware: most pears are not self-fertile — you'll need 2–3 trees of different varieties in the same flowering group.

3. 3

   Plant in a sheltered, sunny, frost-free spot

   Position matters more for pears than any other fruit. Pears flower in mid-April — 2–3 weeks earlier than apples — and the blossom is vulnerable to late frosts that wipe out the crop. South or west-facing wall positions are ideal; avoid frost pockets (low-lying spots, hollows). Spacing: 4 m for bush trees on Quince A, 2 m for cordons on Quince C, 8 m for espaliers.

4. 4

   Plant bare-root in winter

   November to March while dormant. Soak the roots for an hour before planting. Plant at the same depth the tree was in the nursery — graft union (the bulge) should be 7–10 cm above soil. Stake permanently for Quince C rootstocks (they don't anchor well). Water in deeply.

5. 5

   Mulch and avoid grass at the base

   A 5 cm mulch of garden compost or well-rotted manure in a 1 m circle around the trunk (keeping it 5 cm clear of the bark itself). Don't let grass grow within this circle in the first 3–5 years — grass roots compete heavily with young pears. After 5 years, lawn can grow back if you want.

6. 6

   Prune in winter for shape, summer for cordons

   Bush trees: late winter (Feb–early Mar) — remove crossing branches, open the centre to a wine glass shape, shorten leaders by a third. Cordons, espaliers, fans: summer prune (August) — cut sideshoots back to 3 leaves above the basal cluster. Pears tolerate hard pruning if needed.

7. 7

   Pick at the right (early) moment

   The most important pear husbandry rule. Pears do NOT ripen well on the tree — they go mealy and brown at the core. Pick when the fruit is full size, still firm, but the stalk lifts cleanly from the spur with a gentle twist (early-mid September for Williams, September for Conference, late September for Doyenne du Comice). Lay out on a tray in a cool dark place; they ripen over 2–3 weeks.

8. 8

   Watch for pear leaf blister mite and scab

   Pear leaf blister mite: small dark blisters on leaves, looks alarming but rarely affects fruit yield — pick affected leaves off and bin (don't compost). Pear scab: brown/black corky spots on leaves and fruit — choose resistant varieties (Concorde, Beth), prune for airflow, clear fallen leaves in autumn. Codling moth can affect pears as well as apples — pheromone traps in June or grease bands.

Pear midge, pear blister mite, and fire blight can all be problematic.