Dwarf Comice Pear Tree - The soft and sweet Christmas pear delicacy. (2 years old and 3-4 feet tall.)

Plan on one. Most European pears need pollen from a different pear variety that blooms at the same time, within about 50 to 100 feet, and nearly any other pear can do it if their bloom overlaps. Bartlett and Comice can set some fruit alone but bear better with a partner, and Red Bartlett counts as the same variety as Bartlett. Asian pears set some fruit on their own and bear best with a partner. Asian and European pears pollinate each other when they bloom together. Even trees that pollinate themselves produce much more with a partner nearby.

Our European pears grow to about 10 to 15 feet tall in the ground, and our Asian pears to about 10 to 20 feet. This page lists the size for this variety. The rootstock sets most of it, and summer pruning plus a light hand with fertilizer keeps a tree somewhat smaller. Keep the graft union, the knobby bump near the base, above the soil when you plant.

Check the USDA hardiness zones listed on this page, and look up your zone by ZIP code. Your zone is set by how cold your winters get. Fruit trees also need enough winter chill, the cool hours between about 32 and 45°F, to bloom well. Where winters are mild, ask your county Extension office which varieties fruit there.

In our experience, our pears start bearing in about 2 years, and 3 at most, though climate makes a difference. Pick off any fruit that sets in the first summer or two, so the tree builds roots and branches first.

We recommend planting it in the ground, where the roots have room and stay warmer through winter. A pot can work, but it's best if you have some experience, or don't mind less-than-ideal results while you learn. A tree in a pot needs much more care: more watering, and the nutrients it would otherwise pull from the ground. Every few years, prune the roots and change the soil, or move it up a pot size. Expect more ornamental value than a large harvest: a tree in a pot will fruit, but not as much as one in the ground.

Fire blight is a bacterial disease of pears and apples. Watch for young shoots that wilt, bend into a hook like a shepherd's crook, and turn black. In dry weather, cut them off 8 to 12 inches below the damage, and wipe your pruners with rubbing alcohol between cuts. Go light on fertilizer, since soft, fast growth is the most susceptible.

Usually, yes. Pears pollinate other pear varieties that bloom with them, and grafted limbs work the same way separate trees would. Each grafted variety has its own tag. When we graft, we choose varieties that cross-pollinate. We graft five onto each tree, but sometimes two or three don't take, which can leave a less-than-ideal mix for pollination. If the only two on your tree are Bartlett and Red Bartlett, plant another pear nearby that blooms at the same time.

It depends on when it ships. In the dormant season, while trees rest over winter, it arrives bare root: no leaves, no soil, and roots wrapped in a damp packing mix. That's what a healthy dormant tree looks like. When it's actively growing, the same tree ships potted and in leaf. Our fruit trees ship at about two years old and 3 to 4 feet tall. If the roots are dry or mushy, or anything looks damaged, contact us that day with photos.

Most bare root trees planted in spring show new growth within a few weeks. Some take longer, especially after a cold spring, and a tree planted in fall waits for spring. Fall planting works best where winters are mild, generally zones 7 through 9. Every region has its own climate and microclimates, and pear varieties vary widely in when they first break bud in spring. To check on your tree, scrape a tiny patch of bark near the top with your thumbnail: green underneath means it's alive. If it's been 45 days since spring planting with no new growth, or 30 to 45 days since other pear trees in your area leafed out, please contact us.

Keep the roots cool and damp, out of sun and wind, and keep the tree shaded and as cool as possible. Plant within a couple of days if you can. In cold storage at about 37°F, a dormant tree keeps for months without harm, as long as you water the roots now and then. Without cold storage, heel it in for a longer wait: lay it in a shallow trench and cover the roots with soil.