Pear Seeds: How to Grow a Pear Tree From Seed

Pear seeds are the small stony seeds that develop inside a pear, which you can use to grow new pear trees. Pear trees (Pyrus communis) are deciduous fruiting trees that bear many different types of pears, including Anjou pears, Asian pears, Bradford pears, and European pears.

You can harvest the seeds from inside a pear you bought from the grocery store to grow your tree. Make sure to cold stratify and germinate your pear seeds indoors before you plant them in the ground to increase their likelihood of growing into tall, healthy pear trees.

Consider planting two pear trees at a time to help with cross-pollination and increase the likelihood that your tree bears fruit. Keep in mind that pear seeds don’t always grow the same fruit as their parent plant.

It can take three to ten years before the pear seeds you’ve planted develop into mature pear trees that bear fruit. Keep in mind that the process is lengthy and involves a series of steps—including cold stratification, germination, and planting in the soil—each of which takes a few months and requires patience.

Growers should collect pear seeds in winter, from January to early February. This time frame gives your pear seeds plenty of time to chill in the fridge and germinate inside. The seeds will be ready to plant in the ground by May or June when there is plenty of sunlight and the threat of the last frost has reliably passed.

Follow this simple step-by-step guide to grow a pear tree from seed:

• Harvest seeds. Collect your pear seeds from ripe pears that you have on hand. Cut the fruit in quarters lengthwise, from stem to base, using a paring knife, and wedge the seeds out with the knife. Remove as many seeds as you possibly can because you can’t guarantee that every seed will germinate. Planting more seeds means a higher likelihood of producing more trees.
• Soak seeds. Soak your seeds in a bowl of tap water overnight. Remove any seeds that float to the top because these won't germinate. The following morning, soak your seeds in a solution of ten parts water to one part bleach for ten minutes. Drain your seeds and let them dry on a paper towel.
• Bag seeds. Fill a resealable plastic bag or sandwich bag with moist peat moss (the moss should be damp, not soaked). You can also use potting soil instead of peat moss. Push the seeds two or three inches deep into your medium, and plant up to four seeds in each bag. Seal the bag and place it in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. Allow the seeds to germinate for three months, checking the moss every two weeks to ensure it hasn’t dried out. If the moss is dry, add more water.
• Remove seeds. If the room temperature is above forty degrees Fahrenheit, you can remove the seeds from the fridge after three months. Soak the seeds in a bowl of warm water for two days to soften the seed's hard shells. Discard any seeds that float to the top of your water.
• Plant in containers. Fill a small container or plastic cup with a potting mix. Place each seed half an inch deep near the sides of the cup, keeping them spaced evenly from one another.
• Water. Water the seeds so that the soil is damp but not saturated with water. Overwatering can stunt their growth or cause root rot. Leave the planted seeds in a well-lit place, such as a windowsill with full sun, for two to three weeks.
• Watch for sprouts. Monitor your seeds over two to three weeks to ensure they sprout small cotyledons. Next, your seedling will begin to show true leaves, which are larger than the cotyledons and more like the leaves on a pear tree. When your sprouts have four true leaves, you can replant them in your garden.
• Replant the pear trees. Choose a spot in your garden where you want to plant your pear tree. Dig a hole in the soil that is slightly larger than the root ball of your young tree. Make sure that the soil is well-draining by pouring water into the hole. Gently remove your baby pear tree from its growing container, replant it in the soil, then water it immediately. Continue to care for your plant as it develops its root system over the next few years.

It will take a few years for your pear tree to mature and start to produce fruit that you can harvest. Follow these tips to care for your pear tree so that it thrives:

1. 1. Add supports. Once your pear tree has developed a trunk, place a wooden stake beside the base of the tree's trunk. Graft the tree to the stake using gardening wire. Staking the tree will help keep it erect as it grows a stronger trunk.
2. 2. Water weekly. For the first year, water your pear tree once a week to keep the soil moist and help it grow. During dry seasons, you may need to water your tree more often. Check to see if the soil is moist between waterings—if it has dried out, water your tree.
3. 3. Fertilize annually. Feed your tree once a year using ammonium nitrate fertilizer. Once the tree starts to grow faster, twelve inches within a year, start using less fertilizer.
4. 4. Prune as necessary. When the branches start drying out or have dead leaves, prune them with a pair of gardening shears. Check your tree in the early spring for dead branches and prune them away to reroute nutrients to its healthy branches.

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