Growing your own fruit is one of the biggest joys of gardening. A pear tree gives great results with very little effort, providing fruit from late summer to autumn. You might be surprised by how little space you need to grow one.

This tree is specially bred for growing in pots and will remain compact. It will be perfectly happy on a patio or large balcony. We wouldn’t recommend planting it in the ground as it won’t grow into a large tree.

• A pear tree is an investment. They're best planted up when they're dormant (have lost their leaves and are not actively growing) between autumn and spring. While they'll be so busy growing healthy roots that you’re unlikely to get fruit the first year after they're planted, take care of them and they’ll reward you with fruit ever after. Sweet-smelling blossom will appear in spring, which will then develop into fruit. The fruit grows slowly and you should be able to pick it from late summer. 

Water regularly to keep the soil moist, but make sure excess water can drain out of the bottom of the pot. Give a weekly feed in spring and summer to help with fruit production. Other than that the only real work involved in maintaining your tree is giving it a yearly prune, to remove dead growth and encourage a good shape. 

In late winter or early spring, snip off any dead or damaged branches. Then give it a bit of a general haircut to tidy up the shape. It’s good to thin out the branches in the middle of the tree, so they don’t crowd each other. Don’t worry if you make mistakes with the shape. It will all grow back.

Did you know?

There are around 3,000 different varieties of pear. If you can name them all without googling, well, we’ll probably give you a job.