Welcome to the adventure of growing your own pear trees!

Apples are one of the most popular fruits, but pears aren’t far behind. Delicious, nutritious, and portable—pears are a perfect choice for the home gardener.

Now, planting and nurturing pear trees does require a long-range mindset; you won’t see any fruit until your trees are at least three years old. But they’ll be worth the wait!

In this collection’s Introduction, you’ll first learn some history and basics about pear trees so you can start planning to grow your own. Then, in the Feature Articles, you’ll get specifics about the care and nurturing of pear trees—from the types of trees and the best way to grow them, to tips on soil preparation, watering, and controlling and preventing disease.

If you’re already advanced at tending and harvesting pear trees, some of this may be familiar content for you. But stick with it, because you’re certain to learn something new, especially when it comes to the history of pears and the recipes!

 In Plant Profiles, you’ll learn about the two main species of pears and many of the varieties that thrive in a broad range of hardiness zones. This is a sampling of some of the most popular varieties of pears—both European and Asian varieties. All these pear trees bloom with a profusion of creamy white flowers—a promise of pears to come.  If you’d like us to include another pear variety that appeals to you, please let me know by commenting below.

We are a growing network of food gardeners—for and by fellow food gardeners—who want to reap all the benefits of growing our own delicious food at home!

One of the fun features of the Food Gardening Network is the assortment of super easy and delicious Recipes, so that you can enjoy the fruits of your gardening labor (sorry; inadvertent pun). Pears are no exception!

You can make these pear recipes for everything from breakfast to dessert. Some of these recipes will likely become repeat requests in your household. Enjoy your pear harvest with these tasty recipes, and your family and friends will appreciate all of your pear tree tending efforts!

Next, you’ll learn Nutrition Facts about Pears to find out exactly which nutrients are found in pears. Health Benefits of Pears will show you how key components in pears can help prevent some diseases, such as heart disease and some forms of cancer. You may decide to switch from an apple a day to a pear a day.

To help you explore the wonderful world of pears even further, we’ve included a Resources section that is complementary to this collection. We aim to give you everything you need to grow, harvest, and eat delicious pears; use these additional resources to find more information on tools, tips, and tasty recipes.

Finally, you’ll find a brief Glossary at the end of this collection in case you need a fuller explanation of any key terms and concepts.

Now, dig in and learn more about adding pear trees to your garden!