Growing organic pears (Pyrus spp.) differs from regular pear production in three critical areas: fertilizing, controlling pear pests -- most significantly the codling moth -- and controlling common pear diseases like fire blight. Technology has put synthetic and chemically based products at the disposal of gardeners, and while these formulations make raising fruit trees easier, the quality of the fruit and condition of the planet diminish. Start preparing for your organic orchard long before you plant your pear tree by beginning a compost pile in the backyard to provide organic amendments for your soil and mulch for your trees.
Choose and purchase a pear cultivar; organic practices will work for all cultivars. Plant the tree in a sunny location in your garden. Dig the planting hole in spring, place the seedling's roots or rootball into the hole with its graft line, if any, several inches above soil level and refill the hole with extracted earth. Place the tree near another pear for pollination or plant a second tree within 40 feet of the first.
Spread a 3-inch layer of organic compost over the root area of the tree. Keep the mulch 4 to 6 inches from the tree trunk. When the compost diminishes, renew it with another few inches and repeat all summer long. In winter, add a layer of shredded wood to protect against colder weather.
Prune the pear tree, starting by taking off the top 24 inches from the ground at the time of planting. Trim to the multiple leader system, keeping the center clear to favor the growth of three or four selected upright shoots that are evenly spaced around the tree; each of these becomes one of the tree's foundation branches. Leave several large lateral branches on each of these new leaders and remove all competing branches.
Spray the pear tree with dormant spray to control mites as well as the destructive pear psylla. Make the spray yourself to be certain it is organic. Mix 1 pound of organic oil-based soap, 1 gallon of organic horticultural oil and one-half gallon of water in a saucepan on the stove and bring to a boil. Dilute with water, one part solution to 19 parts water, and spray it on the tree in January, June, August and October. Cover the trunk and each side of every leaf and branch.
Control fire blight by pruning out the infected branches in the spring. Look for watery ooze seeping from areas of dead bark in new shoots that darkens and streaks the branches or trunks. Always sterilize the pruners with denatured alcohol between clips. Cut more rather than less. Find the lower edge of the visible infection in the branch, trace the branch back to where it attaches to the trunk, and prune at the next branch juncture down, taking out both the infected branch and the branch to which it is attached. Burn the pruned pieces.
Control codling moth, a pear tree's primary pest, in April. Hang pheromones to disrupt the moths' mating behavior and traps to catch the moths before they can lay their eggs on the tree.
Things You Will Need
- Organic compost
- Shredded wood
- Garden clippers
- Organic dormant spray
- Organic oil-based soap
- Organic horticulture oil
- Spray bottle
- Moth traps
- When selecting a pear cultivar, consider how much space you have available for the tree to grow. Consider also whether you prefer early, middle or end season pears and whether you intend to eat the fruit fresh or cooked. With that information, select an appropriate pear tree for your yard. Be sure to choose one that thrives in your plant hardiness zone and that its chilling requirements will be met.
- Fire blight arrives with warm, wet weather. Temperatures over 70 degrees Fahrenheit with regular rain provide ideal conditions for this disease. Your best bet to protect the tree is selecting a resistant cultivar and watching like a hawk for new infections.
- University of California: The California Backyard Orchard: Pear (European: Pyrus communis L; Asian: Pyrus Serotina L.)
- University of California at Davis: Integrated Pest Management: Agriculture and Natural Resources: How to Manage Pear Pests
- University of Minnesota Extension: Apples and Pears in Minnesota Home Gardens
- Harvest to Table: Pear Pruning
- University of California Cooperative Extension: Sample Costs to Produce Organic Pears
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