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Pyrus communis 'Onward' (D) AGM

Home | Plants > Plant Selector > Pyrus communis 'Onward' (D) AGM

Characteristics

Plant type

Fruit (edible)

Habit

Columnar/Upright, Bushy

Resilience

Hardiness

old H4 (hardy)

Colour

Flower

White in Spring

Foliage

Green in Spring and Summer

Fruit

Pale Green and Pale Yellow in Autumn

Size

Ultimate height

4-8 metres

Ultimate spread

4-8 metres

Time to ultimate height

5-10 years

Preferred common name

pear 'Onward'

Family

Rosaceae

Pyrus are deciduous trees or shrubs with oval leaves and scented white flowers in spring, followed by green or brown fruits, edible in some species

<p align="left">'Onward' has a sweet, rich, buttery flesh, somewhat like an early Comice. Good, regular crops with a short fruiting season of September to early October. Not compatible with ‘Doyenné du Comice’. Pollination group 4

Suppliers

Suppliers listed in RHS Plant Finder

Awards

Award of Garden Merit

How to grow

Sunlight

Full sun

Aspect

South-facing or West-facing

Sheltered

Cultivation

Suitable for all training forms including cordons and fan-training. Flowers early and so at risk from spring frosts. Plant in a sunny position in moist, but well-drained soil. Needs another cultivar for pollination. Keep a weed free area of 60cm radius around the trunk. Thin fruit if necessary

Soil

Well-drained or Moist but well-drained

Neutral

Loam, Clay or Sand

Propagation

Propagate by grafting or budding onto a clonal rootstock for fruit; quince rootstocks are usually used. The rootstock used will affect plant size

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Wall-side Borders

How to care

Pruning

Regular pruning required; a spur bearer. Prune cordons and other restricted forms in summer and bushes in winter. Further pruning advice: pruning new pear trees, summer pear pruning, winter pear pruning, renovating pear trees, pruning established fans

Pests

May be attacked by aphids, caterpillars, codling moth, bullfinches, gall midges and pear blister mite

Diseases

Prone to pear scab. Can be affected by brown rot, blossom wilt, fireblight, replant diseases and on light sandy soils, boron deficiency

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