Back To Top Site and Soil Requirements Climatically, pears are adapted to all areas of Arkansas. Pears often have severe problems with fire blight, and gardeners should only plant varieties with high blight tolerance. It is possible to lessen the effects of fire blight with judicious sprays, but this is difficult for homeowners to do and is not encouraged. Good drainage is an important soil requirement although pears are more tolerant of poorly drained soil than most other fruit trees. Sandy soils are best, but garden trees can be grown in clay or heavy loam soils in most parts of Arkansas.
Plentiful sunlight is a key factor for maximum fruit production.
Choose an area of the yard in full sun or nearly full sun. Morning sunshine is particularly important for early drying of dew, which will reduce the incidence of disease. Back To Top Purchasing Trees Use only recommended varieties obtained from a reliable source. Large trees are often less desirable than smaller trees because larger trees usually lose a greater portion of the root system when dug from the nursery. Larger nursery trees that are 2 years old or older frequently lack sufficient buds where side branches should be developed on the lower portion of the trunk.