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Savouring a ripe pear is one autumnal pleasure that no gardener should be without, so make sure you follow Lucy’s guide to growing the ultimate crunchy, succulent fruits
IF our brains were on autopilot, pears would play second fiddle to apples, but discover a homegrown example of these juice-filled, aromatic fruits, and pear trees are sure to sit firmly at the top of your must-grow list.
Sunshine and spurring
Originating from central Asia, it’s a wellknown fact that pears enjoy life in the warmth. I look after a row of eight trained against a sunny brick wall and they crop prolifically, giving us early eaters, late mellowers, and everything in between.
They are trained as espaliers, the pear’s free-spurring nature lending itself to this shape readily; cordons are also a cinch – and both kinds are pruned in summer and winter.
There’s no grass around the roots – pears demand a lot of nutrition and water, so we lay seep hoses along the wall base, and I mulch each spring with well-rotted manure, topping nitrogen levels up midsummer with a standard application of chicken pellets.
Guarantee the best flavours
I also look after a Nashi pear, which is a different species (Pyrus pyrifolia as opposed to P. communis, our European pear) but find it bland in comparison. That’s the thing with our pears – the sublime flavours that they offer are unparalleled. To enjoy these at their best, the time to pick is important. Get it wrong, and early varieties quickly turn over-ripe (indicated by a brown, soft centre), whereas late types stay hard and starchy; don’t confuse this with grit cells, which are normal and give pears their characteristic texture.
Skin colour changes at maturity are difficult to detect, so cup, lift and twist fruits in your hand – they should come away from the spur freely. Store unripe late-season pears in a cool shed or garage, unwrapped, on slatted trays. They’ll gently mellow and ripen, so check them regularly.
“Pears demand a lot of nutrition and water”