Focus on… Pears

I Four brains were on autopilot, pears would tend to play second fiddle to apples. However, once you discover a homegrown example of these juice-filled, aromatic fruits, pear trees are sure to sit firmly at the top of your must-grow list.

Spurring partners

Originating from central Asia, it’s a well-known fact that pears enjoy life in the warmth. I look after a row of eight trained against a sunny brick wall and they crop prolifically, giving us early eaters, late mellowers and everything in between.

“Grow early eaters, late mellowers, and all in between”

They are trained as espaliers, the pear’s free-spurring nature lending itself to this shape readily; cordons are also a cinch – and both kinds are pruned in summer and winter. There’s no grass around the roots – pears demand a lot of nutrition and water, so we lay seep hoses along the wall base, and I mulch