Pears Pyrus spp.
Native to temperate Europe and Asia, pears can grow up to 100' tall in the wild. Many pear varieties are hardy in New England but tend to take longer to come into bearing than apples and might not bear every year. Farther south, pears tend to bear annually. Pick fruit when green and ripen it on the shelf. Or, for optimal eating, try this method, from Ed Fackler of Rocky Mountain Orchard: “…when fruits exhibit slight color changes, begin to test pressure (using your thumb) near the stem. When there is a slight ‘give,’ pick all the fruit, store at or near 35° for 7 or more days. Then remove them as needed, allow them to sit at room temps for 2–4 days which allows them to ripen to peak flavor.” Pears are on OHxF97 and will reach 25' or taller at maturity. (2½–6' trees)
Perry Pears Perry is fermented pear juice—the pear equivalent of hard cider. While you can ferment any pear juice, the best perry is made from small dry astringent varieties selected over the centuries just for that purpose. Most of these perry pears are not suitable for fresh eating or cooking. These trees are a good investment—they should live to be about 300 years old.
There are thousands of named Asian pear cultivars in China, where they have been grown for more than 2000 years. They bear young and are long-lived. Asian pears differ from European pears: they are crisper and very juicy, sweet and mild with a nutty background, and are roundish in shape. Because they set heavily, thin the crop once or even twice during the first two months after bloom to ensure large fruit. Leave about one fruit per spur. Unlike European pears, they should be tree-ripened. When the seeds are black, the pears are ready. They ripen in late summer and keep for several weeks with refrigeration.
Asian pears reach 15–20' at maturity.
Growing Pears
- Soil: Prefers well-drained fertile soil.
- Sun: Full.
- Pollination:
- European Pears We recommend planting a second variety for pollination, though some European pears may be self-pollinating. Bloom times are similar for all varieties we offer.
- Asian Pears We recommend planting a second variety for pollination, though some Asian pears may be self-pollinating. Some European pears, notably Bartlett, will also act as pollinators.
- Planting and Pruning: See our planning and planting and pests and diseases pages for more information about soil prep, planting, pruning, and pest control.
- Spacing: 15–20' apart.
Scionwood
Scions are twigs, not trees. They have no roots and will not grow if you plant them. They are cuttings from dormant branch tips, intended for spring grafting.
We do our best to provide ¼" caliper stock. Because of factors beyond our control (such as weather!) stock may be 3⁄16–3⁄8".
We sell scionwood in two ways:
- By the stick: One 8" stick will graft 3-4 trees.
- By the foot: Minimum order of 10 feet per variety. For orchardists grafting large numbers of trees of a particular variety. In our own nursery work, we are usually able to graft 6-8 trees from one foot of scionwood.
You can graft right away or store scionwood for later use. It will keep quite well for several weeks stored in sealed ziplock bags in the refrigerator.
The deadline for ordering scionwood is February 21, 2025, for shipment around March 10. (Please note: we ship scionwood only in mid-March. If you would like to order rootstock to arrive in the same shipment, select mid-March shipping when adding the rootstock to your cart.)
For more info:
About Scionwood
