How to Grow Anjou Pears

Anjou pears will store well for up to eight months.

Anjou pears are a late-ripening variety of the European pear (Pyrus communis) with glossy, light green skin. The Anjou pear tastes mild and buttery, with a slightly gritty texture. Anjou pears store well for up to eight months, letting you enjoy orchard-ripened fruit long after harvest. Anjou pears will grow in all but the hottest and coldest climates.

Things You'll Need

• Pear tree sapling
• Shovel
• Watering can or hose
• 13-13-13 fertilizer

Instructions

1. Select a 1-year-old or 2-year-old tree measuring 2 to 4 feet in height and with a trunk diameter of 1/2 inch. Bare roots should be kept moist.

2. Trim away any broken or damaged roots.

3. Dig a planting hole large enough to accommodate the natural spread of the tree's roots. The soil line should be at the same place on the trunk where it was when planted at the nursery. Carefully replace soil around the roots.

4. Water the tree thoroughly to remove air pockets from the soil around the roots. Fill in soil or adjust the position of the tree as needed as the soil settles. Continue watering the young tree thoroughly at least once per week, unless you receive adequate rainfall.

5. Cut off the top of the tree so that the tree measures about 2 to 2 1/2 feet in height. Remove all side branches.

6. Contact your local extension office (see the Resources section) to see if fire blight is a problem and whether spraying is scheduled to prevent the disease. Fire blight is a serious disease that affects European pears such as Anjou in many parts of North America.

7. Apply half a cup of 13-13-13 fertilizer in a 2-foot circle around the tree, keeping the fertilizer 6 inches away from the trunk. Continue this application each spring until the tree is 4 years old, then increase the application to 2 cups. If fire blight is a problem in your area, avoid fertilizing the tree, since that would make it more susceptible to the disease.

8. Pick Anjou pears while they are still hard. For maximum ripeness, the pears will need time to ripen off the tree. David Sugar of the Oregon State University Extension recommends storing Anjou pears in the refrigerator for two to six weeks, then leaving them out at room temperature for a week to 10 days. The fruit is ready to eat when pressing it just below the stem leaves a slight indentation. If you wish to store Anjou pears for the winter, leave them in the refrigerator for five to eight months before completing the ripening process.

Tips & Warnings

• When choosing a site for your Anjou pear tree, select a full-sun location with moist, well-drained soil.

• Pears are not self-fruitful, meaning they must pollinate with another variety to produce fruit. You will need a variety other than Anjou within 50 feet of your Anjou tree, or could choose a tree with two or more varieties grafted onto a single rootstock.

• Because pears bloom early, you should avoid planting your tree in a low-lying area that can retain killing frosts longer than other sites.

References

• Virginia Cooperative Extension: Growing Pears in Virginia
• Oregon State University Extension: When to Pick and How to Ripen Pears to Perfection
• University of Illinois Extension: European and Asian Pears
• Texas A&M University Extension: Home Fruit Production -- Pears

Resources

• Washington State University Extension: Anjou Pear Resources
• Cooperative Extension System Offices