How to Grow a Japanese Apple Pear Tree

Test the pH of the soil before planting the Asian pear tree. Asian pears thrive in soil with a pH between 5.9 and 6.5. To lower the pH, add sulfur or aluminum sulfate to the soil. To increase pH, add wood ashes or lime.

Dig a hole large enough to encompass the tree's entire root system, plus a few extra inches on the sides.

Lower the tree's root system into the hole. Fill the hole with soil. If you want to plant multiple Asian pear trees, space each tree 10 to 15 feet apart. You need at least two trees, for pollination purposes, if you want to harvest fruit.

Prune the pear trees in October and February. Cut off spurs and branches that may rub against and damage fruit.

Spray trees with copper fungicide during blooming in spring to prevent fire blight.

Apply insecticide three or four times per year to prevent or eliminate stink bugs, spider mites and codling moth.

Wrap an insect glue trap around the bottom of the tree trunk, if desired. This helps keep insects from crawling up the trunk and infesting the tree.

Fertilize the tree once per year. Use 1/2 to 1/3 cup of 10-10-10, 20-20-20 or 15-30-15 fertilizer per tree. Apply fertilizer when flowers bloom.

Thin fruits by hand as they appear. Leave about 6 inches between fruits. Thinning encourages larger fruit growth. If you do not thin, you will not harvest full-size fruits.

Cover the tree with a 1/2-inch mesh net when fruits grow to 1 inch in diameter. This prevents insects and animals, such as birds, from eating the fruit.

Harvest fruits when they turn bright yellow, typically in August through October. Picked fruits, when stored in the refrigerator, stay fresh for several months.

Remove the mesh net and insect glue trap after harvest. If you do not do this, bees cannot pollinate the trees.