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Pear tree origin

The culture pear (Pyrus communis L.) belongs to the rose family and originates from various West Asian and European wild pears as well as from the domestic wood pear.
It was already cultivated in Greece around 1000 BC. The Romans took over the culture and with the end of the Roman period its cultivation declined. From 600 AD onwards, monasteries and nobles began to cultivate it again.
In ancient Greece it was dedicated to the goddess Hera. It symbolizes love, fertility and growth.
In contrast to apple trees, pear trees live relatively long. There are specimens in Germany that are estimated to be 180 years old.

Like almost all fruit trees, pears need a pollinator with the same flowering period nearby. The flowers are pollinated by bees and bumblebees.
The flowers are white and light pink and appear in April and May. The leaves are dark green, oval to egg-shaped and covered in felty hairs on both sides with a finely serrated edge.
The fruits of the pear tree are greenish-yellow or brownish and have a spherical shape. Depending on the variety, they are ripe between July and October. The flesh is softer and sweeter than that of an apple. Most pear varieties should be eaten or processed immediately after harvest. Some autumn and winter varieties, however, need to be stored for a longer period until they are soft and have developed their aroma.

Pear tree care and location

Pears like sunny, warm and sheltered locations. Planting them in front of a house wall facing east or south with humus-rich and moist soil is ideal. Pear trees are naturally deep-rooted and can use water from deeper layers. The taproot normally reaches a depth of around 10 meters. However, many cultivated forms have been grafted onto other trees, so that, depending on the variety, there are also shallow-rooted trees.

Pruning pear trees

To encourage new shoots, pear trees are pruned between January and April. After flowering, dry and inward-facing branches are removed. Water shoots and branches that compete with the central branch are also removed. This thinning cut makes the tree more productive.

Water pear trees properly!

The most important care measure in the first few years after planting is correct watering. Young pear trees need a lot of water to develop strong roots, leaves and fruit. Young trees generally need more additional water than fully grown trees. In addition, increasing drought and rising temperatures cause stress in trees. Depending on the location and the climatic situation, more frequent watering may be necessary than in previous years.
During dry periods, only a few new shoots are formed and the young plants suffer from the lack of water.
Pear trees should be watered once a week from spring to autumn. They like moist soil without waterlogging so that the Drip irrigation with a baumbad irrigation bag is optimal. With conventional watering, only a fraction of the water poured is absorbed directly by the tree. Large amounts of water only penetrate the surface of the soil and evaporate again. With tree bath watering bags, water is released drop by drop to the tree through two small holes over a period of several hours. This ensures that the soil is evenly moistened so that the roots can absorb the water well.
With a tree bath watering bag you not only save time and money, but also protect the trees in the long term and sustainably.
The bag is placed around the tree trunk like a jacket, closed with a zipper and filled with water.

Young pear trees should be watered with 75 to 100 liters per watering. Larger trees should be watered with 150 to 200 liters of water per watering during dry weather periods.

Do you need to fertilize pear trees?

To better retain moisture and activate soil life, mulching with compost, bark mulch or lawn clippings is recommended.

Standard and semi-standard varieties with strong, deep roots usually do not require Fertilizer. With shallow-rooted varieties, the absorption of nutrients is lower, so fertilization is advisable. By creating a tree ring, the tree can absorb nutrients well. The area should be kept free of weeds.

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