Growing A Pear Tree From Seed

Pear trees (Pyrus communis) bear sweet fruit with crisp, white flesh. Many gardeners tend to shy away from growing fruit trees due to their delicate and temperamental nature. Growing pear trees from seed will take patience and careful planning. Prepare to spend at least a few months just readying the pear seeds for germination before planting. If you take good care of your seedlings, you can grow pear trees from seed that will bear large bounties of fruit year after year.

Cut open healthy, ripe pears with a sharp knife. Scoop the seeds out of the pear with a spoon and place them in a small bowl. Add warm water to the bowl and rinse the fruit pulp off the pear seeds. Lay the seeds onto paper towels to dry.


Fill a plastic bag with moist peat moss. Bury the pear seeds 2 to 3 inches in the peat moss and close the bag. Place the plastic bag in the bottom crisper drawer of the refrigerator for up to three months, or until the last frost date has passed. Ensure that the peat moss stays damp but not soggy the entire time it is stored in the refrigerator.

Remove the seeds from the refrigerator and plastic bag when outdoor temperatures remain steady above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Soak the seeds in a bowl of warm water for two days to help soften the hard outer shell of the pear seeds.


Place biodegradable peat pots on top of a plastic water tray. Fill the peat pots 3/4 full with organic potting soil. Remove the pear seeds from the bowl of water and lay one pear seed on top of the potting soil in each peat pot. Cover the pear seeds with a 1/2-inch layer of potting soil.

Water the pear seeds until the soil is moist. Cover the peat pots loosely with plastic wrap to raise the humidity. Set the plastic tray and peat pots indoors in a warm location that receives plenty of indirect light. Keep the soil moist until the pear seeds germinate. The rate of germination will depend on which variety of pear seed you have.

Remove the plastic wrap when the pear seeds have sprouted above the soil line in each peat pot. Move the water tray and peat pots to an indoor location that receives brighter light, such as a windowsill. Continue keeping the soil moist for several months, or through the winter months.


Feed the growing pear seedlings a liquid houseplant fertilizer as directed on the package label.

Plant the pear seedlings in well-draining soil, in a location that receives full sunlight when the threat of frost has passed. Break up the soil in a planting area twice the size of the peat pot the pear tree is growing in and mix in organic compost. Dig a hole the same size as the peat pot. Trim off the top edge of the peat pot so it is even with the soil level inside. Place the peat pot into the planting hole and backfill with soil. Water the soil well. Space multiple pear seedlings at least 20 feet apart from each other to accommodate the growing root systems.

5 Replies to “Growing A Pear Tree From Seed”

  1. I have had great success growing pear seedlings from seed using the following method with close to 100% germination and it has worked so far with bosc, bartlet, anjou, red, and apple pears.
    1. Buy your fruit from your favorite vendor.
    2. Eat your pear and then by hand squeeze or otherwise remove the seeds discarding any that are not fully developed.
    3. Rinse the seeds in water to remove excess pulp and using paper towels remove any more pulp that you can.
    4. Carefully remove the outer husk using your fingernails and discard any you damage or any that are not a light almond color.
    5. Put your seeds between 2 moist paper towels(not dripping wet) and put in a warm location.
    6. Check carefully every 12 hours for signs of sprouting, plant at first sign of any growth.
    7. If the paper towel dries up or you miss the first sprouting, you will probably need to start over.

    I have 37 pear seedlings about 3-4 inches tall and have only lost 2 after the leaves appeared. This method is also working on grapefruit but the husk is harder to remove, I have 7 grapefruit seedlings about the same size as my pear seedlings.

  2. This is what I did for a simple successful germination. I just planted 3 seeds in very good potting soil and three days later, I have 3 pear seedlings…just like that!

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