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Expertly Grown in the UK
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Expertly Grown in the UK
Carefully Hand Delivered

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Stepover Pear Tree

Pear back on size, not quality

Grown by John

South Downs National Park

'Williams' Bon Chrétien' Stepover Bare Root Tree

45-60cm

£35

Pre-order for delivery Late November

Perfectly happy plants, or your money back

Specialist overnight plant delivery

The highlights

  • Expertly trained into a low-growing shape
  • Includes one of the best old varieties
  • Poach in red wine, cinnamon and cloves
  • Moreish pears, charming blossoms

Description

  • If you haven’t got much space but you still want to grow your own pear tree, then a stepover is a brilliant option. These trees are trained to grow close to the ground, like a single-tiered espalier, and offer a highly ornamental way to edge a veg or flower bed without the risk of any sun-blocking taking place
  • ‘Williams' Bon Chrétien’ is a wonderful variety, first bred over 250 years ago, boasting juicy, rich pears and cropping very reliably
  • Proper training and pruning is important to keep your stepover tree’s shape. Fortunately for you, our growers have done the hardest part for you, pre-training your stepover so that it arrives in its distinctive T shape
  • You still need to keep on top of maintenance, though, so check out our article, Stepover Apple Trees: The Complete Guide, to find out what to do – don’t worry, the same principles apply for pear trees as they do apple trees

What To Expect

Supplied as:

Bare root
Bare root stepover tree

Height on arrival:

45-60cm

Eventual height:

45-60cm

Eventual spread:

1.5-3m
Spreads approximately 1.5-3m.

Time to first crop:

2 years
You may see your first pears within a couple of years of planting, however it can take a bit longer than that before you see a more significant crop.

Flower colour:

White
White blossoms appear in spring

Habit:

Stepover
A low-growing tree with one central leader and two horizontal branches (arms) spreading on either side.

Hardiness:

Fully hardy
H6 - This stepover pear tree will survive temperatures of down to -20°C or so.

Self fertile:

Variety dependent

Pollination group:

Varies from variety to variety

Uses:

Eating fresh, poaching, baking and juicing

Rootstock:

Spacing:

3m
Plant 3m apart to allow for spreading.

How To Grow

Good pest and disease resistance

Whilst this stepover tree is generally robust, it can sometimes be affected by aphids, caterpillars and pear scab.

Water well when establishing

Once established, pear trees don't need a lot of extra watering. When first planted, however - and particularly in hot, dry conditions - more regular watering will be needed.

Full sun

Your stepover pear tree will be most productive in a fully sunny position (at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day).

Any fertile, well-drained soil

Pear trees typically grow best in loamy, fertile soil with ample drainage. Amend your soil with some organic matter if you need to improve either fertility or drainage.

Feed every spring

Each spring, feed your pear tree with a fertiliser that's high in potassium.

Planting Calendar

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  • Best time to plant
  • Harvest
  • Flower

South Downs National Park

Meet John

110 years' expertise free with every tree

John’s family have been growing trees in the South Downs National Park for over a century, and it shows. Dug up and sent straight to your garden at between 18-36 months old, their quality rootstocks, expert pruning and natural pest control mean that these traditionally field-grown trees are the hardiest you can get.

What customers say about us

We do our best to provide you the best experience ever

Growing with Roots

Good to know

Our plants are grown 
in the UK

Specialist UK growers we know and trust grow your plants the traditional way, with organic fertiliser and biological pest control. They pick only the healthiest plants for you, professionally pruning them so that they’ll grow strong and well shaped.

Our plants are delivered overnight

Your plants are sent to you fresh from the field in our plastic free box that’s specially designed to hold them tight, then securely delivered by specialist plant couriers - straight from the grower to your garden within 
24 hours.

We're here to help at every step

We want your plants to have a long and healthy life. Expect easy-to-follow grow guides and videos devised by our team 
of experts.

Perfect plants, guaranteed

We’re confident that you’ll be delighted 
with your new plants. Need help? Alice and her team are here to guarantee you’re 
perfectly happy.

Digging deep to answer your questions

How do I know I'm getting quality plants?

All of our plants are grown in specialist nurseries with the highest standards of plant care and sustainability. We guarantee you'll love them as much as we do! Don't just take our word for it - we've got thousands of great reviews on Trustpilot.

When will I get my plants?

The delivery timescale for each plant is on the web page (near the 'add to basket's button). You'll receive a dispatch email with an exact delivery date once your plants are on their way, so you can get the garden ready.

How will my plants be packed and delivered?

We send all of our orders through a courier network designed to handle plants. Specialist equipment ensures that no plants will be damaged during the packing process and every order is carefully finished and checked by plant-loving humans. Your plants will arrive in the most sustainable packaging possible with minimal to no plastic used.

Where do you deliver?

We deliver to anywhere in Mainland UK for our standard delivery cost. We are able to deliver most plants to Highlands and non UK mainland however this will be at an additional cost. This will be calculated at the checkout. Please note, deliveries to these locations will take longer. Unfortunately, we are not able to deliver to Northern Ireland at present.

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