Pear (Large) Growing Guide
Pyrus communis
![Pear (Large)]()
Crop Rotation Group
Miscellaneous ●
Soil
Moist, well-drained soil with a near-neutral pH.
Position
Moist, well-drained soil with a near-neutral pH.
Frost tolerant
Yes, but it is important to choose varieties known to grow well in your area to reduce risk of losing blooms to spring freezes.
Feeding
Benefits from a mulch of well-rotted organic matter in spring, topped by a deep mulch of wood chips or sawdust year round.
Companions
Corridors within the orchard that are planted with clovers and other legumes contribute to soil fertility and attract pollinators.
Spacing
Single Plants: 6.00m (19' 8") each way (minimum)
Rows: 6.00m (19' 8") with 6.00m (19' 8") row gap (minimum)
Sow and Plant
Dig a large hole - a wide hole is better than a very deep one - and mulch after planting. You may need to use a tree guard to protect the young tree from animal and insect pests.
Our Garden Planner can produce a personalised calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.
Notes
Prune in winter to remove any dead or overcrowded branches and to shape if required. Most varieties need at least one other pear tree in the neighbourhood to get good pollination. Healthy pear trees will bear for decades. Large pears can require up to 10m spacing. This can be less depending on variety and pruning method.
Harvesting
Harvest pears before they fully ripen, and ripen under cool indoor temperatures.
Troubleshooting
Very cool or hot weather can affect ripening, and leaving fruits on the tree for too long can cause them to rot from the inside out. Scab and other fungal diseases can cause problems for pears. Prune to improve airflow and avoid feeding with too much nitrogen. Codling moths can destroy crops of young fruits; trichogramma wasps can be used to control them, but insects are generally less of a problem with pears than with other tree fruits. In Australia fruit fly are a pest of pears. Place any infested fruit, or fruits that have fallen to the ground, in a sealed plastic bag in the sun for at least 7 days to kill the eggs and larvae. Do not compost infested fruits as this will lead to the fruit flies completing their life cycle and the problem recurring.
Planting and Harvesting Calendar
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Pests which Affect Pear (Large)
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