How to Transplant Pear Trees

Pear trees are one of the easiest fruit trees to grow in your orchard. Of all the fruit tree types, pears have fewer problems with insects and diseases. Picking pears while they are still green and keeping them in a cool location helps to extend their shelf life for months. Pear trees are grown from seed, and cannot be propagated using cuttings---but you can graft branches onto other fruit trees. Normally the small tree you purchase at a nursery for transplanting is a couple of years old.

Gloves

Shovel

Top soil

Compost

Burlap or newspaper

Twine

Water

Sharp knife

Stake

Rope

Choose a sunny well-drained location and dig your hole. Planting 25 to 30 feet away from other trees. The hole should be twice the size of the anticipated root ball, which will be about one and one-half times the width of the tree's crown.

Dig up the tree to be transplanted, keeping as much root as possible. Younger trees are lighter and easier to handle, but adult trees can be successfully transplanted. Mark the ground 3 feet out from the trunk. Start digging at the 3 foot mark to limit the amount of root damage that may be caused by the shovel. For a very large tree, calculate one and one half times the tree crown width and mark the ground accordingly. Dig as deep as 6 inches for every inch of tree diameter.

Cover the roots with topsoil and burlap, newspaper or polyethylene sheeting. This helps to reduce exposure to sun and wind. You now have what is called a root ball. If you are successful in keeping the original soil intact around the roots, you do not need to add topsoil before wrapping in burlap.

Tie the root ball with twine if you have to move it very far.

Water the root ball. Don't allow your roots to become dry.

Cut long slits in the burlap to allow roots to penetrate as they grow, or remove the burlap.

Place the tree in the new hole, filling gaps with topsoil and compost.

Tamp the soil down as you fill the hole to be sure there are no pockets of air.

Water your newly transplanted tree.

Stake your tree for the first year. Strong winds or heavy snow can topple a young tree or cause it to lean. Root damage can occur if the base of the tree sways too much.

Wait until the ground is completely thawed to move trees in the spring, but not after new leaves have partially opened. Fall is also a good time to transplant. The planting window is once the leaves have turned color in the fall and before the ground freezes.

Pear trees love full sun and compost.

You may have to wait two to four years before you see your first fruits. Do not pick little fruits, but it is advisable to pluck damaged or diseased fruit to allow the remaining good fruits to grow larger.

Do not fertilize your newly transplanted pear tree for one year. Use slow release fertilizer spikes that are specially formulated for fruit-bearing trees.