VAL BOURNE offers some ideas on how to get a good yield of juicy pears

The very first thing I did when I moved to my new garden in 2005 was to rush down to Waterperry Gardens, near Wheatley, and choose some fruit trees. My two pears were Doyenné du Comice and Glou Morceau.

The first variety is French and dates from 1849 and it has become a great commercial success throughout the world. It’s the pear most often cooked — and tinned — and it has a sweet flavour and grainy texture when lightly simmered. The second is an older, softer variety from Belgium, raised in 1750 by Abbé Hardenpont, a pioneer of pear breeding.

I planted both in hope rather than certainty for it always says "plant your pear against a warm wall or in a sheltered site". I had no chance in my extremely exposed, high, cold garden where I wanted to create a small orchard in front of the cottage. But I am delighted to report that both have already cropped.

Glou Morceau produced several small pears last year and Comice, pictured, has produced roughly 12 handsome, large fruits this year. Both can be picked from mid-October. But Glou Morceau is stored and eaten in December and January, whereas Doyenné du Comice can be eaten or cooked straight away.

My pears have been helped along by the last two wet summers because pear trees are grafted on to thirsty quince rootstock (Cydonia oblonga). Quinces adore moisture — and so do pears — and all the major pear growing areas are found on rich, moisture-retentive soil.

Modern trees grafted on to quince A or C — they are divided into A, B and C — are moderately vigorous and reach 10-20ft (2.5-6m) on average. They usually produce fruit from their fourth year onwards and Quince C is said to crop earlier.

I had faith that my pears would flourish despite being grown 700ft above sea level. For one thing, my garden is on a spring line and water runs 2-3ft below the ground, ensuring moist soil at all times. My elevated position ensures that frost rolls down the hill and this is important because pears produce their white blossom during April when frosts still abound.

Lastly, I get full sun for the whole day. This ensures good nectar flow and pollinators seem drawn to my fruit trees.

You need more than one though because pears are self-sterile and need pollen from another variety in order to set fruit. I purposely went for late-flowering varieties in group C in order to avoid frost damage. Warm, moist conditions are essential for the growth of the pollen tube and fruit trees planted in shade rarely do well. Dry, cold springs also limit fruit set.

The tip with pears is to water them in dry spells from the moment the flower buds burst until six weeks after blossoming. Gently tip one bucket of water on each pear tree every day, if needed. If it is dry, or the soil is thin, cordons and espaliers are your best bet. Always thin your fruit and restrict each tree to 10lbs of top-quality fruit. Who knows, next year I may get 30 pears on each of my trees!