Collection: Pear Trees

Planting your pear trees in a sunny, sheltered location well away from any areas subject to frequent frosts maximises fruit production and helps you get the most pears for your pennies!

After planting, pears usually produce their first fruit three years later, but it will take them five to seven years to produce a full crop. ‘The only thing I have patience for is my garden’, as my Gran would say.

Fertile, well-drained soil will make your pear tree the happiest. These fruit trees can also tolerate clay soil but you will need to take some steps to improve drainage in the winter.

Care for a pear? Once established, pears require very little care throughout the year, however, in spring and summer, trees grown in containers require regular watering to prevent the compost from drying out. When watering your pear tree, ensure that the roots are fully soaked.

Although our pear trees are professionally pruned prior to sending, we advise that the first pruning of the year should be done in early spring, to remove dead and poorly-placed shoots. Once your tree has reached maturity, it should only be pruned during its dormant season (November to March). Learn more about how you can become an expert in pruning your tree.

The best way to tell if a pear is ready is by lightly placing the fruit in your hand (or gardening glove) and tilting it slightly. Mature fruit will come away from the branch with ease and without force, but if it’s not quite ready, it will stay put.

Potted trees can be planted at any time of the year but bare root plants should ideally be planted in winter.

Here are some of our favourites to help you pre-pear when choosing the right tree for you:

• 'Conference' pear tree - Who doesn't love a 'Conference' pear?
• 'Concorde' pear tree - A modern variety, bred for reliable, bumper crops of large, top-quality pears.
• 'Green Williams' - A great traditional English pear with fine flavour.