Growing a variety of fruit trees in more recent years has been an enjoyable challenge - with some easier than others. Compared to other fruit trees, pear trees have been relatively easy to grow but successful varieties in the Victoria area are limited. Let's first look at what's easy.

The easy part(s):

• Pollination

Almost all flowering plants need to be pollinated. It is the process of moving pollen from one flower to another of the same species, which produces fertile seeds. Some plants are pollinated by wind or water and some are even self-pollinating.

With pear trees, a pollinator with coinciding bloom time is generally necessary; however, a few varieties produce a limited quantity of fruit with only one tree.

• Limited spraying

If the right variety is chosen, pears don't require significant spraying for insects or diseases. Look for more about those right varieties below.

• Training vs. pruning

Pear trees don't require annual pruning except to get rid of diseased or damaged wood. In fact, pruning can be detrimental since it invites disease in the cut area. Training is the preferred technique.

Pear trees are best trained to a central leader and lateral branch form. The young tree's branches naturally tend to bunch together, cling to the central leader, and block sunlight, which is not conducive to bearing a bumper crop of pears.

Lateral branching can be forced by gradually bending the limbs down, causing them to arch. Dr. Larry Stein, TAMU Extension Specialist, suggests attaching small weights to the branches during the tree's first to fourth year, but limited to periods of active growth. Attempting this during dormancy will break the branches.

Lateral branching not only lets in the sun but encourages formation of specialized fruiting shoots called spurs, contributing to the tree's earlier maturity and eventually more fruit.

The tree is fooled into acting like it is mature with fruit weighing it down, resulting in the tree bearing its first crop in about four years, which would otherwise take longer.

The limitations

• Chilling

Although we would love to grow Bartlett, Bosc and Anjou varieties, these are off limits for the Victoria area because they are susceptible to fire blight and require too many chill hours. Refer to a previous article on fruit trees at vcmga.org/gardeners_dirt/2017_dec_15 for information about chilling.

• Fire blight

Most of East Texas pear production, which includes area counties in Zone 2 as determined by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension on the adjacent map, has problems with fire blight. Caused by an easily transmitted bacteria, fire blight can cause production losses, tree damage or death. The bacteria overwinters in cankers in live tissues or mummified fruit, becoming active at temperatures of 60 to 65 degrees.

Early signs of infection are waterlogged brown blossoms, brown or black fruiting spurs, growth shoots blackening and becoming hook shaped and leaves appearing scorched.

While not a preventable disease, fire blight is manageable. Choose resistant varieties adaptable to the area. Closely monitor and start treatment to minimize damage. Prune to remove infected area.

Pruning should generally not be done in the summer, but if necessary because of diseased wood, prune only in dry weather. Remove and destroy cutoffs and mummified fruit. Avoid excessive nitrogen fertilizer or irrigation. Spray with approved copper solution between budbreak and green tip.

Varieties appropriate for Victoria area

• Kieffer

A European hybrid pear, or Oriental pear, Kieffer is recommended for this area for its fire blight resistance, appropriate chill hours, rapid growth and dependable crops. Its flesh is crisp and coarse, preferred for canning and cooking.

Recommended pollinators for Kieffer with good fire blight resistance are Orient (a European hybrid) or Shinko (an Asian variety, aka apple pear).

Orient is firm, juicy and mild. Shinko is crisp, juicy and sweet, the quality having been described as good to excellent.

• Other fire blight resistant varieties

Other fire blight resistant varieties with various chill requirements are Moonglow, Warren, Ayers and Magness. Warren is a great choice once it has been established, but not necessarily as a new planting, since it takes eight to 10 years to produce its first crop.

Fully research varieties

It is advantageous to fully research pear varieties along with recommended pollinators. Utilize good planting and management techniques so you can truly enjoy the fruits of your labor and maybe even some of those apricot-pear kolaches.