When to plant pear trees in Centralia and Chehalis, WA

Choosing varieties that pollinate each other

Pears are some of the most forgiving fruit trees for west-side gardens: they tolerate heavy, damp soil better than most fruit trees and need little spraying. Most European pears need a second variety that blooms at the same time. Bartlett, Comice and Seckel can pollinate each other, though Bartlett and Seckel are a poor match. Asian pears like Shinseiki bloom early, but they often overlap enough with early European pears to help with pollination as well.

Choose a rootstock suited to your space. Dwarfing pear rootstocks still make fairly large trees, so leave room as guide spacing suggests.

Why European pears ripen off the tree

A European pear left on the tree ripens from the inside out and turns gritty or mushy at the core. Pick them when they reach full size and the stem snaps off with a gentle lift, while the flesh is still firm. Bartlett ripens at room temperature in about a week. Comice and Anjou-type pears ripen better after a few weeks in the refrigerator, then a few days on the counter. Check ripeness by pressing gently near the stem: when it gives, it's ready.

Pests and diseases in the Northwest

Pear scab works like apple scab and spreads from fallen leaves in wet springs, so rake leaves each fall. Fire blight is a bacterial disease that thrives in warm, humid weather during bloom; it's more common east of the Cascades. Prune out blackened shoots in dry weather, cutting 8 to 12 inches below the damage and wiping your shears with disinfectant between cuts.

West of the Cascades, pear trellis rust causes bright orange spots on leaves. It spends part of its life on junipers, so it's worse near juniper hedges, and it's mostly cosmetic.