When you think of a pear tree, you picture a large tree in the middle of the garden. A pear tree can also be kept as a container plant. You only have to pay attention to a few things.
Stepping onto the terrace or balcony in the morning and harvesting fresh pears from your own tree, what could be nicer? After all, a pear tree does not always have to be in the garden. If you put in some effort, a pear tree like this can also be successfully grown in a bucket. Those who succeed can soon enjoy the first fruits from their own harvest directly on the balcony or terrace.
Pear trees need grafting
A viable pear tree develops from a rootstock and a matching scion. The rootstock is the section of the plant from the root to the grafting point. The scion is then attached to this, from which the branches will later develop. Because ungrafted fruit trees bear no fruit. You can even do the finishing yourself. Winter is the best time for this.
➜ How to do it:
Cut the base and scion at an angle so that the cut surfaces match as closely as possible and press both together. Now wrap raffia tightly around the grafting area and seal it with tree wax. In late spring, rootstock and scion have grown together to form a new pear tree that can bear fruit.
Weakly growing rootstocks are important for keeping containers
If the procedure is too time-consuming for you, you can also buy ready-grafted little trees in the tree nursery or in the garden center. But be careful: not all plants are equally suitable for being kept in pots. It is important that you choose a sapling with a weak rootstock. After all, the space for root growth in the bucket is limited. You should therefore not use pear trees with a very fast-growing rootstock, such as the Kirchensaller Mostbirne. Better are:
❍ Quince C:
The weakest growing pear rootstock is quince C. At the same time, however, it is very demanding. You must protect quince C from frost just as reliably as from excessive drought. AlsoQuince C reacts very sensitively to lime in the irrigation water and in the soil. The tree will also not be very stable and will have to be supported with a stake. However, if the general conditions are right, you can look forward to fast and high yields.
❍ Pyrod Warfare:
Early and high yields can also be expected from the rootstock Pyrodwarf, which also copes well with lime, is frost hardy and very stable. The only downside: Pyrodwarf grows faster than Quince C, so you need a very large pot.
❍ Quince A:
The rootstock Quince A offers a good compromise between Quince C and Pyrodwarf in terms of growth strength. It is insensitive to winter frost, but sensitive to lime.
Tips for keeping buckets
❖ Location:
If you want to keep one or more pear trees in a tub, you must choose a suitable location for the plants. Pear trees prefer a lot of sun and little wind.
❖ Bucket size:
Start by choosing a small bucket and replace it with a larger one year after year. This optimizes the water and nutrient supply of the growing pear tree.
❖ Fertilize:
Pear trees that have not been repotted for a long time must be fertilized regularly. It is best to use fruit fertilizer.
❖ set up two trees:
A pear tree needs a second pear tree nearby for pollination. So always put at least one pair together.
❖ Control aphids:
Check the leaves regularly for aphid infestation and take swift action against the pests. It helps e.g. Garlic broth against aphids and also cigarette ash.