buying a pear tree

[bikermike]

OK, her ladyship has consented to buying some fruit trees (well, one, but I'm sure I can argue for two to make it neater )

She would like a pear tree (and I am thinking an apple as companion).
I know I'll need to get dwarf rootstock to keep them manageable.

How big do they tend to get?
Are they high maintenance (/which varieties are easier)?
when do you plant them? (autumn springs to mind)
How much shade to they throw? do they have a "dead" zone round their trunk at the deepest shade?

apart from digging a big hole and putting in some compost, do they need any other preparation?

[nickdub]

Pears are a bit trickier to grow in this country than apples - I'd say Conference is the most reliable.

Bare rooted trees are available in Winter/Spring - you get a wider range of choice of varieties and they are cheaper.

A lot of apples need to be pollinated by a different variety to get pollinated.

Ultimate size depends on a lot of factors the most influential being root-stock.

I wrote a thread about 6 months ago on here which describes a few things about planting trees and shrubs.

[bikermike]

oooh, I had a cursory search and couldn't see it - would you be able to bump it/PM it to me/print it off and post it/or something?

The key question is timescale - do I need to buy one now, or do I have some faff time?
Re apples, there's a fair number of apple trees on our site, is that likely to be enough, or do I need two or more trees?

If I can find it, I will read and digest your thread, thanks

[Lardman]

I know I'll need to get dwarf rootstock to keep them manageable.

Or semi-dwarfing to give you a little more wiggle room.

How big do they tend to get?

Rough mature tree height in ideal conditions, but things like variety vigour and soil conditions can also contribute.

Apples
M27 - 6 ft
M26 9 ft

Pears
Quince C - 9ft
Quince A - 16ft

Are they high maintenance (/which varieties are easier)?

Variety dependent some are more susceptible to decease than others but you can largely leave them be after the first few years.

when do you plant them? (autumn springs to mind)

Bare rooted trees are available in winter when the trees are dormant (Nov-Jan) they're cheaper and usually a wider selection. Pot based plants can be put in whenever you like.

How much shade to they throw? do they have a "dead" zone round their trunk at the deepest shade?

Depending on the rootstock you'll probably want to leave a foot or so clean around the base of the tree.

apart from digging a big hole and putting in some compost, do they need any other preparation?

Leave out the compost, s sprinkling of BFB will do. You'll need a good tree stake for a couple of years at least.

Have you thought about varieties ? If you have a local orchard or nursery they might have tasting days shortly. Information is fine to make a choice on but with only 2 trees you'll want something you really like the taste of and there's no substituent for actually tasting them. Unless there are other trees in the area you'll also check they're self fertile.

[nickdub]

oooh, I had a cursory search and couldn't see it - would you be able to bump it/PM it to me/print it off and post it/or something?

The key question is timescale - do I need to buy one now, or do I have some faff time?
Re apples, there's a fair number of apple trees on our site, is that likely to be enough, or do I need two or more trees?

If I can find it, I will read and digest your thread, thanks

thread mentioned is:- https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...uit_95913.html

Definitely no rush on buying/planting - the ideal time for bare root is late February/March - though sometimes ordering earlier is better, if you want an unusual variety which may be out of stock if ordered too late.

You'd be unlucky if you have other apple trees around and they failed to pollinate one you planted - there are certain varieties which are sterile as far as pollinating others go, but by and large any apple of a different sort will do the trick, as long as the weather plays ball.

[bikermike]

Thanks Nick - that's really helpful

the main thing is that I don't need to do anything now.

I shall read your thread at leisure.

[nickdub]

Thanks Nick - that's really helpful

the main thing is that I don't need to do anything now.

I shall read your thread at leisure.

You're very welcome - happy planning, and if you get the chance keep us posted in what choices you make please - Cheers Nick

[chillithyme]

According to monty don, sprinkle some mycorrhizal fungi on tree roots when planting, it helps with the root growth and nutrient uptake. Cheapest I've found is in wilko

[TrixC]

Pears are not self fertile so you’ll need two trees of different varieties unless your neighbours also have pears. And not all varieties will pollinate each other, the big online nurseries like Keepers or Orange Pippin will include information on which varieties pollinate one another. Yes Conference is reliable but it’s also widely available in the shops, better to plant something more interesting.

Apples aren’t self fertile either but they’re a lot more common so you probably wouldn’t have pollination problems if you planted only one.

If you don’t have a lot of space you could consider espalier or cordon training along a wall or fence.

[BUFFS]

I have had pear trees for over a decade and this year I have some pears on the oldest one, we had more, but the storm a couple of weeks ago had the trees looking like windscreen wipers on a car ,whipping around something terrible, which meant the fruit were shooting off, just leaving half a dozen small ones left, and they are now growing well, so fingers crossed, no more storms hopefully..

[Two_Sheds]

I treated myself to 6 dwarf trees last birthday: mail order, about £20 each, Keepers Nursery

I was v.particular about variety, as per my light sandy soil (not recommended for cherries, but I’ve got 3)

There’s fruit on the apples 
And the conference pear

But nothing except cherry aphids from the cherries 

[lynda66]

I got all my trees from poundstretcher, (£4.50) b&m (£4.99) and local garden centre when they are looking a bit dead and reduced to a couple of quid, and I got some 2ft long sticks from ashridgetrees.co.uk that have grown really well, they were about £1-2 each
they've all got a good selection, got them about february/March not sure how long they will take to fruit, but figured I can wait a year or 2 for that price