- Anjou pears are rounded, short-necked pears.Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty Images
Pear trees will grow to 25 to 40 feet tall and 15 to 20 feet wide, with Asian pear trees in the smaller range. Handsome and long-lived pear trees have a strong, vertical branching habit and pyramidal form. At one-half to three-quarters the size of full trees, dwarf or semi-dwarf trees will be suitable in size for the home garden. Site pear trees in full sun with ample air circulation, planting in sandy loam soil with good drainage. Allow a large enough planting hole for the roots to spread without breaking. In susceptible areas, select fire blight resistant varieties. Harvest pears when the stem snaps easily and store them at 33 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit, for three to four weeks before bringing them up to room temperature to enjoy. - Bartlett pear has a short neck and is yellow, often with a slight blush.Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
Bartlett, with a typical pear shape and a sweet pear flavor, is commonly offered in fruit markets in the summer. In some locations, it may be self-fruiting. A red variety is called Sensation. Though susceptible to fire blight, Bartlett is recommended for the home garden. Anjou pears are either red or green. Anjou is a vigorous grower that is moderately susceptible to fire blight. It has a sweet flavor and a dense flesh, making it a good choice for fresh eating. Allow a full month of cold storage after harvesting Anjou pears, before bringing them to room temperature. - Add home-grown pears to your fruit basket.Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
Hood and Floradhome will pollinate each other. Both need less winter chill that most pears (less than 300 hours) and so are suitable for warmer pear-growing areas in the South. Hood and Flordahome are resistant to fire blight. Choose these if fire blight in your area is a problem. Hood has a large, yellow fruit, with a buttery texture and good flavor for eating fresh. Flordahome has a small-to-medium, juicy, green fruit. Pollinators should be planted within 200 feet of each other, closer for dwarf and semidwarf varieties. - An Asian pear has a rounder, apple shape and a unique flavor.Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images
Asian Pears can be eaten at harvest. They are nicknamed "apple pear" and "salad pear" because of their crisp texture. Hundreds of named cultivars are grown in Asia and about 25 in California. Asian pears are somewhat self-fruitful, but planting at least two varieties recommended by your local nursery assures optimal production. Asian pears may be round or flat, with green-yellow or bronze skin; or they may be pear shaped, with green or russet skin. Hosui, susceptible to fire blight, produces a large, sweet and juicy fruit on a vigorous tree. Shinko is resistant to fire blight. Its flavorful fruit is rounded with bronzed skin. 20th Century (Nijisseki) has a round, yellow fruit that stores well. It is considered the best flavored of the Asian pears and is the most widely sold in California and Japan.
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