How to Pollinate Pear Trees

Pear trees are not self-pollinating; they require another pear tree nearby for pollination. The best natural pollinator of the pear tree is the honeybee, since bees fly to your pear tree from other trees, brushing another pear's pollen on your blossoms. While you can bring in hives of honeybees to pollinate your pears, you can also attempt self-pollination via paintbrush.

Things You'll Need

• Pear pollen
• Brush
• Ladder (optional)

Instructions

1. Check your pear blossoms daily. The optimal time for pollinating pear blossoms is 12 to 72 hours after they open. For best results, perform two applications of pollen, one at the early end of the time frame and another at the later end.

2. Determine which blossoms on the tree you'll want to pollinate. If you plan on pollinating flowers that are high up on your pear tree, have a ladder handy.

3. Dip the brush in your jar of pollen and tap lightly to shake excess pollen off the brush. Dab the center of a pear blossom with your brush so that pollen clings to the stamens inside. Pollinate other flowers in the pear cluster.

4. Continue to pollinate other flowers on the tree in the same fashion. Avoid pollinating flowers that grow on weak branches, since the wood will not likely be able to hold the fruit.

5. Tap the brush on the pollen container again when you are finished. Carefully wipe any stray pollen from the mouth of the container and put all supplies away.

6. Repeat the second pollen application in the same manner as the first.

Tips & Warnings

• Purchase pear pollen from a fruit nursery or online supplier.

References

• Ron Smith, Horticulturust: Qustions on Pear
• Newsweek: Stung by Bees
• Firmanpollen: Application